The Real Thing
by Josielynn
Summary: AU. Logan and Lilly are off again/on again. Duncan is dating Meg. Veronica was never friends with Lilly. Logan sees Veronica in her soccer uniform and wants to date her. Rob Thomas owns everything. I own nothing.
1. Chapter 1

_Storyline: In this fic Veronica attended school with Lilly, Duncan and Logan but was not part of the 09er group. She is not Lilly's friend, never dated Duncan and the Fab 4 is Lilly, Logan, Duncan and Meg. Lilly is now a senior and Duncan, Meg, Logan and Veronica are juniors at Neptune High School. _

Logan Echolls looks in surprise at his friend Dick Cassablancas. Normally he doesn't find the tall blond to be insightful, but sometimes, despite his goofy manner, Dick just sees past all the complexity. Maybe today the answer to Logan's problem lies in the basic realm.

He leans back and says, "Dude, sometimes you can be a genius."

The 09ers at the lunch table look at their leader in surprise. He doesn't often tell Dick he is a genius. In fact it is really not something that is heard in conjunction with Dick's name.

Logan, seeing the look on the rest of their faces, laughs. He was upset because Lilly Kane, his on again, off again girlfriend of four years, broke up with him again. His friends used to the routine, attempted to make him feel better by giving him suggestions on what to do until Lilly wanted him back. The suggestions ranged from going to Mexico for the weekend, to picking a freshman to date, to having a huge party, to going to LA to club, to going to a college party.

Dick had finally put his two cents worth in. He said, "What you need is a challenge; something different."

When Logan had looked at Dick in question, Dick had supplied, "You've done all that shit before. You are Logan Echolls, all you have to do is wiggle your finger to get a new girl."

Frowning Casey had asked, "Who would be a challenge then?"

"I don't know." Dick had shrugged and then said, "Someone you've never thought of before."

Unbeknownst to Dick and the rest of the male 09ers, Logan had spotted the perfect girl to take his mind off Lilly. He had leaned back and smiled. Perhaps Dick was right. Perhaps he needed something or someone totally different. Perhaps that someone has been right in front of him all along.

Although Logan's friends didn't understand his smile or why he thought Dick's comment was so insightful, they were happy to see he seemed less upset about his breakup with Lilly Kane.

_ After school at the beach_

Logan sits on his surfboard and looks out away from the beach; towards the ocean. He watches the waves come in and sees a few boats pass. It is a beautiful day today and the waves have been pretty good. He feels pleasantly tired. Although he loves the exercise that surfing brings, mostly he loves to surf because it always helps him quiet his mind. He is able to totally focus on the wave, zone in on the challenge of riding his board and magically, the rest of the world disappears.

Two days ago he caught his girlfriend cheating on him again at Kim's party. He had beat up the guy and then had a huge, loud and painful fight with Lilly. It's funny but she probably leaves more scars on him than his father during his worst episodes. Although he doesn't have the physical markings from Lilly, he has plenty of psychological scars from their breakups.

His life is so fucked up! A father who never wanted him and thinks he needs to train him to 'be a man'; a mother who is so beaten down by life that she hides in her pills and booze; an adopted sister who is a self-absorbed Paris Hilton want-to-be; and the love of his life is a girl who is not satisfied by him and is constantly seeking out other guys.

Back at school today he could see that Lilly is done with him for a while. She has someone else who has caught her attention and she has no intention of taking him back for a while. He could see that he is off her radar.

Hurt and upset he had sat with his friends at lunch. While he was listening to their suggestions on what he should do or what girl he should date until Lilly wanted him back, he had spotted her. He had watched as she walked out of the school carrying her lunch tray towards the table where she sat with some of the soccer team.

They were all in their uniforms, getting lunch before they got on the bus to go to a game. Logan felt his breath catch and his heart skip a beat when he saw her. She walked with grace and confidence. She was wearing short black shorts with the green and yellow soccer shirt that was tight to her tiny waist. Her long blond hair was tied back with multiple green and yellow ribbons. She wore green knee socks and white athletic shoes. It wasn't a sexy outfit but on her, it was a combination of innocent, athletic, flirty and was a direct shot to his groin. She was laughing as she walked with one of her team mates. He is not sure why but, at that moment, he wanted her to be walking towards him.

He doesn't know much about her even though he has attended the same schools as her since he moved to Neptune when he was twelve years old. Truthfully, her family is not wealthy so he has not had much to do with her. Mostly though, he has been wrapped up in Miss Lilly Kane and no other girl has interested him.

He does know that she is the daughter of Sheriff Mars. She is fighting it out with his best friend Duncan to be the top student in the class.. She is a starting player on the varsity soccer team. When they were in Middle School, his best friend Duncan had lusted after her for a while but nothing had ever come of it. Logan can't remember why but it was something about her mother not approving; although that can't be it because who wouldn't approved of their daughter dating Duncan Kane?

Duncan had turned to Meg Manning instead and they had become the IT couple of Neptune High. In one of those weird twists in life, Meg Manning and Veronica Mars are friends.

Veronica comes to some of the 09er parties. Since she is a hot girl and friends with Duncan and Meg, no one cares. Logan has never seen her drunk or seen her make a fool of herself. She has not joined in the games the 09ers play at their parties either. Logan has never kissed her in spin the bottle; been in the closet for seven minutes of heaven with her and he has never seen her play 'I Never' or 'Truth or Dare". She seems to avoid all those games. He doesn't know if she behaves because her father is the sheriff or she is truly uninterested in most of the 09er guys.

He remembers that in their freshman year, she dated the most sought after senior guy; Josh Britton. Rumors were that before Veronica came to high school he was a 'different girl each night' type guy. Once he started dating Veronica, there hadn't been anyone else for him. In fact the rumors were that Veronica broke off their relationship when he went to college. Meg told them that Veronica didn't think their relationship could survive a three year separation and he should have fun in college. Logan remembers that Lilly had totally agreed that Josh should explore all his options once he went to college. Logan had been hurt that Lilly was so anxious to find new guys to date.

In sophomore year she dated the Valedictorian of the senior class. The 09er guys talked about how Veronica must be great in bed to keep the attention of two of the most sought after guys in the school. They had laughed about how tiny her hips were and how tight she must be.

Tied up with Lilly, Logan had never wondered why the top guys in the school dated her. He had seen her around school and at some parties but hadn't really ever talked to her.

Being a guy he noticed she was good looking. He had also noticed a spicy side to Veronica. She liked to dance and could really move her body to the beat. He has heard her give guys verbal smack downs at parties if they decide they needed to touch her or won't take no for an answer.

Vaguely he remembers listening to the 09ers guys talk about now that she is free again asking her out and how she invariably refuses. There was some discussion that she was now dating an older guy who was a deputy working with her father in the Sheriff's office. Lilly had winked and said she understood why Veronica might be attracted to older guys.

Lilly had not bothered with Veronica Mars at all. She had dismissed her as too good to be interesting and Logan had followed along not giving Veronica Mars much thought.

_ Tuesday at Neptune High_

Logan's chance to talk to Veronica comes during a fire drill in the Journalism class they share together. He follows her out and then sits beside her as she leans back against a brick wall closing her eyes, enjoying the sunshine.

Feeling that someone has sat beside her, she opened her eyes and looked at Logan. He didn't say anything, just looked at her, so she spoke first, "Logan."

He smirked a little and answered formally, "Veronica."

When he doesn't say anything more, she tilts her head and looks at him in obvious question.

He continues to watch her without speaking. Although the pause is long, Veronica is not uncomfortable. Finally she says in a questioning voice, "If you have nothing to say, say nothing."

Immediately Logan smiles. He answers, "I do like Mark Twain." He leans forward a little and says, "I prefer 'Silence is more eloquent than words."

Impressed, Veronica smiles back a genuine smile and sits up. Logan can read her posture and sees she is more interested in him now. She says, "Mark Twain and Thomas Carlyle…. I can see why you would like both of their writings."

Nodding in acceptance of her obvious jab about him relating to writers who are known for their love of the pleasures of life, he comments, "They are both always interesting." He looks out around at all the students gathered in small groups talking, waiting to be called back into class.

Looking back at Veronica he meets her gaze and adds, "One of the best ways to persuade others is with your ears."

Puzzled she looks at him and he adds, "Dean Rusk."

She shakes her head and tells him, "I don't know who that is."

Tisking a little at her, he says, "I thought you were in the AP classes?" A little dramatically he pauses and explains, "Dean Rusk was the Secretary of State under a number of presidents."

She has to smile at his attitude. This conversation with Logan is really surprising her. He is a lot smarter than she realized; a lot better read.

Leaning a little closer he says, "Aren't you curious as to what I am going to persuade you to do?"

"Well I must admit I am puzzled as to why you are seeking me out to talk to me today," she shares.

Looking at her for a few seconds before he speaks, he likes how her hair looks pulled back. She has a heart shaped face. Her chin is a little pointed but her cheek bones are high and her mouth is nicely shaped.

Veronica feels her heart skip a little at his perusal; however, she waits to hear what he is going to say, opting for silence as the best option.

He leans in a little closer and says, "I think we should go out."

Her eyes widen in surprise and her mouth opens a little. Tiny little lines on her forehead appear and she opens her mouth and then closes it without speaking. Finally she says, "That is not a good idea."

Logan is surprised. He has very little trouble getting dates. He knows he is handsome. He is rich and his parents are famous actors. The 09er girls want to date him and most women he meets don't hesitate to go out with him. However, he can immediately see that the idea of dating him has never occurred to Veronica.

The bell rings and she leans over to pick up her books. She says, "I am not interested in being your fling girl."

"Interim girl," he corrects.

Her eyes flash and she retorts, "Don't you think it is a little egotistical to think all the girls in the school are waiting their turn to be with you?"

A little surprised and stung by her annoyance he answers back, "I don't think that."

She takes a deep breath and then lets it out. "Look I think we should end this conversation before we are both offended."

She starts to walk off. Logan gently grasps her arm and turns her back to him. He looks at her and says, "I am not trying to offend you." He lets go of her arm and says, "I am interested in you."

She claps her hands together in mock excitement, "I am so thrilled that it is finally my turn. I have been waiting all this time for you to notice me." She bats her eyes and exclaims in an obviously false voice, "I have to rush out to the store to buy a new outfit for our first date; something slutty so that I look good on your arm," she ends with an over the top giggle and shy pose.

Logan is speechless at her reaction to his asking her out. He is sure that he looks ridiculous with wide eyes and his mouth hanging open in surprise.

Complete with a head bob and hand on hip, she says, "FYI Logan. I am not anyone's appetizer. I am the main course." She walks off.

Logan watches as she walks away. He is shocked by her words and attitude. He has never had a girl be offended he asked her out. She seemed genuinely upset that he would think of her as an interim girl. That head bob was so cute! He is sure that she feels she really told him off but his main thought right now is that Veronica Mars is really gorgeous when she is pissed off. He smiles. She really is different; a challenge.

The students waiting at the front of the building watch as Logan sits next to Veronica. They talk and both laugh. Veronica leaves Logan and enters the building but he watches her walk away. Then he smiled. The rumors start.

On Wednesday at lunch, Logan is asked about his conversation with Veronica Mars. He flippantly puts his hand to his chest and says, "It shouldn't be shock to see me talking to a hot girl."

He sees the delivery guy arrive and puts his hand up getting the guy's attention. He reaches for his wallet to pay.

The guys laughed at his humor, but Casey noticed that Logan never answered Dick's question about whether he was going to date her.

_Thursday after school_

Logan is sitting on the beach alone. He was surfing with his friends but they left to go home for supper. He didn't want to go home yet so he thought he would sit for a while and think. He has seen Veronica at school but she has ignored him, as usual. He can see she is serious about not dating him. It is an unusual experience for him but he finds that he is intrigued by her.

While he is sitting there the girl he is thinking about walks by. He calls her name and she looks over at him. He sees she is walking a mean looking pit bull dog. She pauses and then waves to him.

Logan watches as she tries to continue to walk her dog down the beach away from him. Unfortunately for her exit and plan not to talk to him, her dog pulled her over.

Veronica is disconcerted to find out her new puppy totally loves Logan Echolls. Hopefully her father can train that out of him but right now, her dog is lying on his back begging for a belly rub from the spoiled, rich, king of the 09ers.

Logan, who has never had a pet, finds the pit bull puppy too much to resist. He is so open and honest in his wants. Logan is happy to give the dog a good neck rub and then laughs when the dog rolls on his back waiting to have his belly petted.

Watching the dark haired boy pet her dog gives Veronica time to notice how hot he looks in his board shorts. She is not blind; she has noticed how good he looks in his tight jeans and polo shorts. If she didn't notice, the girls at the school make it clear that he is very, very attractive. However close up on the beach, her eyes are drawn to his broad shoulders, muscular trim arm muscles and flat abdomen. His hair wet falls over his forehead instead of standing up in its usual spikes. She finds she wants to push it away from his forehead. The boy is entirely too handsome for his own good.

Logan, although busy with the puppy, definitely notices how tiny she looks in her short shorts and tight t shirt. Her flat abdomen is visible and her legs look long and slim. He waves her to sit down and after a brief pause, she settles on the beach on the other side of her new puppy.

Smirking at her reluctance to sit with him, Logan comments, "Cute puppy."

She frowns a little and says, "I just got him."

"He's energetic." Logan notes.

This makes Veronica smile as she looks at him. She nods and agrees, "That he is."

"What is his name?" he asks genuinely curious.

Reaching a hand over to gently rub her puppy's head, she sighs knowing the reaction she will get to his name, "Back Up."

Logan laughs and quizzes, "Really?"

Veronica explains that her father bought him for her and that he will train him to protect her.

Teasing her, he comments, "Well he doesn't seem like much of a man killer right now."

She agrees, "No he's not." She looks at her puppy, "He also doesn't like to be on the leash, stay in the yard or stay out of the garbage either."

He smiles at her dry comment.

They both watch the ocean for a few minutes. Finally Back Up sees a bird and decides to chase it. His abrupt movement pulls the leash out of Veronica's hand and he runs off down the beach with the leash dragging behind him.

Veronica yells at him to come back but he is in chase mode and continues running farther down the beach. She gets up and chases him.

Logan, laughing at Veronica's obvious upset, gets up and chases as well. He runs after the dog and petit blond. Veronica is fit and a fast runner and catches up to Back Up who is periodically stopping to smell interesting things on the beach. He sees her and avoids letting her get the leash. Logan laughs as she dives and misses catching the leash. The dog is obviously having a blast running from her and playing the chase game. He runs by her; taunting her by going close enough for her to try and grab the leash again. Then when she makes a grab for his leash, he agilely moves out the leash out of her grasp by changing directions.

Logan goes over and gives her a hand up. She frowns as she can see he is laughing at her. She does take his hand and allows him to help her up.

The teenagers work together to corner the rambunctious dog; to no avail. Finally, they both fall exhausted and laughing onto the sand. Veronica lays on her back and huffs, "I give up."

Logan looks over and he is struck by how absolutely beautiful she looks. Her hair is a mess and her face is flushed by the exertion. Her face is open and soft with her laughter. Her eyes are sparkling and bright blue.

He watches as her puppy runs over and kisses her face. She laughingly pushes the dog away but has the presence of mind to grab the leash.

Logan observes, "You should get your soccer coach to let Back Up train the team."

Veronica looks at Logan and breaks out in fresh laughter. She agrees, "He would keep us in shape."

She notices how good he looks laying in the sand beside her. It had been a lot of fun chasing her dog with him. He had been very athletic and agile trying to help her corner her energetic pet. He had surprised her with his good natured humor over the whole situation.

The two teenagers just enjoy their time. They lay together resting and enjoying the fresh air and sunshine.

Veronica finally sat up and told Logan she had to get home. She stood and looked down at Logan who stayed supine on the beach. She quietly thanked him for his help and had left him on the beach.

There had been a poignant moment where their gazes locked and the awareness between them had intensified; but Logan let her go without attempting to talk to her further or deepen their connection.

He thinks that he may need a new plan to date Veronica. She will not be easily won but, somehow, he feels getting to date her will be worth the effort. She is a challenge. She is definitely different. She is real!


	2. Chapter 2

_Story so Far: Lilly and Logan break up. Logan sees Veronica walk across the Quad in her soccer uniform complete with the knee socks. He finds he is really attracted to her. He asks her out and is surprised when she is offended that he wants her to be his interim girl until and he and Lilly get back together. He decides that his attraction to her is something that he wants to explore and she will not be won over by his wealth, looks and famous parents. He will need a different plan._

A couple of days later Veronica is back in Journalism class. Logan stops by her desk on his way to the back of the room where he normally sits. He meets her gaze as she looks up at him and asks how her puppy is doing. She shakes her head as she tells him that Back Up chewed her favorite shoes. She looks exasperated but he can tell she is fond of her dog.

He smiles at her and observes, "It could be worse."

She looks at him in obvious question and he supplies, "It could have been my favorite shoes."

She says a little sarcastically, "Well, thanks for the sympathy."

He laughs at her and her breath catches at how handsome he is when he is smiling and laughing. Unaware of her thoughts, he continues, "I don't know much about dogs, but I am guessing he will grow out of the chewing phase, right?"

She nods her head, "Yes, but I may end up coming to school barefoot."

Amused he teases, "You must be a 'glass half full' type of person."

"What do you mean?" she asks, frowning a little.

He leans in a little, "Well you, Miss Mars, should learn to look at the bright side. You could be barefoot and pregnant."

She's a little shocked by his teasing. He backs towards his desk and puts his hands out, "See half full." He turns and walks the rest of the way to the back of the room. Veronica smiles as she watches him. He may be a jackass most of the time and he may be Lilly's man, but he is amusing. She has to give him that.

She turns to the front as the teacher starts the class.

_Monday after school_

John, Dick and Cassidy walk through the parking lot. As they weave their way through the parked cars they notice one of the girls off the soccer team is looking at her car in dismay. She has a flat tire on the back. She is not a 09er or really hot, so they ignore her upset and her plight. They continue to walk towards their vehicles not bothering to help. They lean against Logan's Xterra and wait for him to come out. While they wait, they look around the parking lot and talk about how the waves are supposed to be today.

Veronica, following the guys through the parking lot, sees them walk by and she is inwardly a little disgusted at how little they care about anyone but themselves. She stops and says cheerfully, "Hey Angela. Do you need some help?"

Angela smiles when she sees her team mate, "I guess I should call my dad. I've never had a flat tire before."

Veronica smiles reassuringly at her and says, "Do you have a spare?"

"I'm really not sure," she shrugs.

Putting her bag on the ground, Veronica walks towards the back of Angela's car and says, "Pop the trunk."

Veronica opens the trunk lid ignoring the guys' laughter and jokes. Confidently she pulls out the tire and assembles the jack. She puts it under the frame.

Shocked, the guys watch as she lifts the car and starts to change the tire. Dick makes a loud comment on how this would be sexier if they were wearing bikinis.

Logan walks up in time to hear Dick's last comment. He looks to see what the guys are watching and is very surprised to see Veronica changing a tire. As he watches, he sees that she is struggling with loosening the lug nuts.

He walks over and says easily, "Can I help you ladies?"

Angela looks at him in shock and then blushes. Logan Echolls is talking to her.

Veronica, from her crouched position, looks at Logan pushing the hair from her eyes. She smirks and says, "Oh yes, I need a big strong man to help me. I am just a helpless, weak girl." She fans herself.

The guys have followed Logan over and laugh at Veronica's over the top girly performance. They make comments that she is a woman who knows her place. John says, "Yes, kneeling at a man's feet."

Logan inwardly sighs at his friends' idiotic comments. He crouches down beside Veronica and puts his hand over hers on the tire iron. "I doubt any of those guys even knows how to change a tire," he leans in and adds, "or how to be a gentleman." He sees her smile at his statement. He meets her gaze and adds, "I can see you are having trouble loosening the lug nuts." He smiles charmingly, "I just wanted to help. I don't mean to step on your feminist toes."

Veronica can see that he is being genuine and she smiles a little at him. Moving aside she waves her hand at the tire and says, "By all means…."

He takes the tire iron and swiftly loosens the bolts she couldn't. She watches his muscles flex as he works. He is close enough that she can smell his cologne.

The guys mercifully quiet down now that they see Logan is not impressed with their comments.

Veronica is surprised to find that she has to stop herself from leaning in closer. He really smells good; a mixture of musk and she guesses him.

After he has loosened the lug nuts, he stands and hands Veronica the tire iron. He says, "There you go mademoiselle."

She smiles at his tone and answers sweetly, "Thank you kind sir."

He tips his imaginary hat to her and walks towards his vehicle. The guys follow and tease Logan about being a gentleman. He says, "My mother taught me to always treat women with respect."

The guys laugh and Logan says, "What? I want to make my mother proud." The guys continue to tease him.

Cassidy asks him why he didn't just change the tire for her. Logan confidently says, "She'll be fine."

Veronica pulls the flat tire off and puts the new tire on. She smiles when she hears his comment. She likes that he helped her but respected her enough to let her change the tire. She is impressed.

Logan and his friends get in his Xterra and head for the beach. He drives off with a goodbye honk and wave to Angela and Veronica.

Veronica has to smile at his attitude and turns her attention back to the tire. Although he is gone, she can still smell him.

Within minutes she has changed the tire and Angela helps her put the flat tire and jack in the trunk. Angela is amazed that Logan stopped to help her change her tire. She listened to the interaction between Logan and Veronica with interest. Grateful that she doesn't have to wait for her dad or a tow truck, Angela profusely thanks Veronica and then assures her that she will get her flat tire fixed as soon as possible.

Veronica picks up her bag and walks over to her car after waving goodbye to her teammate.

Angela goes on her social network and comments on what happened. Then she calls her friends when she gets in her car. Logan is definitely interested in Veronica. She can tell.

_A few days later…_

Logan walks down the bleacher steps with Dick, Luke, Frank, Peter and John after skipping last period to watch the cheerleaders practice their new routine. They are laughing about how Derek was whistling at one of the cheerleaders trying to get her attention when he fell down the stairs. He got her attention all right; he had to go to the nurse and then be sent to the hospital for stitches.

Logan walks down the stairs towards the field. The girls' soccer team has arrived and they are starting practice. The guys openly watch the girls as they stretch to warm up. Some of them make comments about what they should be stretching for and the others are laughing at the borderline vulgar comments. Veronica stands when Logan walks by. She scowls and says, "Logan, are looking at my ass?"

The girls stop stretching and stand watching unsure of how the powerful 09er boy will take her challenge. They have heard the rumors about Logan and Veronica. Now she is confronting the guy who, if the rumors are correct, wants to date her. They watch and listen.

Logan changes direction slightly and walks towards Veronica. When he is right in front of her, he stops and looks down at her. He meets her gaze and looks to see if she is really upset or teasing. After a short pause where he stares at her but does not give away his thoughts, he smirks. "Most definitely," he answers.

The girls are surprised when Veronica smiles and says, "I see." She pauses and holds his gaze, "You won't mind if I look at yours as you walk away?"

"Fair is fair," he immediately tells her. He adds, "I'll put an extra shimmy in it for you."

Veronica can't help but laugh at his tone. She gets a twinkle in her eye and with an arm gesture, encourages the girls to join her in watching the guys walk away. She shocks her teammates and the other 09er boys by flirting a little, "We will all enjoy the view then."

The girls all come and stand beside Veronica and openly look at the guys. Veronica gestures at the 09er men to all to turn around and go on their way so the girls can see their backsides.

The guys are surprised that Logan is truly amused by Veronica's challenge. He says, "See that you do." With a quick smile, Logan turns and walks away leaving the guys to follow. He does not look put out that the girls are going to watch him walk away.

Unsure about the way the girls have turned things around on them, the men follow Logan.

The girls are delighted at how Veronica has called the boys out on their behavior. They laugh and make comments about the boys as they walk away. Some of the comments are in Spanish and cause most of the girls to giggle.

Surprisingly, the guys are a little uncomfortable as the team whistles and loudly talks about their bodies as they walk away.

Luke has a red face as he understands some of the Spanish comments. He asks, "Do you guys know what they are saying about us?"

"Why are they watching us like that?" Phillip asks.

Logan smirks and says, "I think there is a lesson to be learned."

Puzzled Dick says, "School is over dude."

Logan laughs and looks back over his shoulder. He makes eye contact with Veronica who is laughing as well. She winks at him and goes back to the stretching routine. She is impressed at how he responded to her asking him if he was looking at her. He never said anything about her body or joined in any of the comments his friends made. He allowed her to turn the tables on the guys. He was comfortable enough with his body to just walk off and let the girls look. She has to admit his back is just as good to look at as his front. He is a very handsome guy; there is no doubt about that. There is more to Logan than she thought.

The rumors around the school about Logan and Veronica continue. Most of the 09er guys think he just wants to have sex with her and that he is using her to get back at Lilly. They feel he will get bored with her soon enough. The 09er girls are upset that he has not picked an interim girl from their ranks yet. They are all positioning themselves to be noticed by him. They are not impressed he is wasting his time with someone so beneath them.

The non 09ers think that Logan is trying to upset Lilly by perusing Veronica. However, some talk about how Veronica already won Josh and Victor and may win Logan.

Logan and Veronica are not talking about what is happening between them. Although no one knows what is going on, they are watching and of course, talking.

Friday night

The 09ers are all going to John Engbloom's party. His parents are going out of town for the weekend and he has been excited all week planning the blowout. Most of the single 09er girls are dressed to the max. Lilly was not going to be there but newly available Logan was attending and the talk was that he would likely be picking his next interim girl at the party.

Veronica arrives at the party with Meg. Meg heads over to be with Duncan and Veronica goes out to mingle by the pool. She brought her own vehicle so she can exit early. She is not much of a party girl, but knows that there will be great food and music. Although they are many things; the 09ers know how to throw a party. As long as she leaves by the time they start to get really drunk, she can avoid all the pitfalls of playing their games or getting involved in the drama.

John has hired a DJ and a lot of the partiers are outside on the large back patio and lawn dancing or sitting enjoying the music. It is a beautiful night.

There are scantily dressed students in bathing suits in the pool and hot tub as well as around the pool relaxing in loungers.

Some of the 09ers are sampling the catered buffet table. It is a happening party.

Logan arrives with Dick, Madison and Cassidy. Madison is giving him her usual "I'm available" looks even though she is dating one of his best friends. As usual Logan is ignoring her.

He notices the looks he is getting from the available girls and some that are not available. He returns their smiles but keeps himself open and free. He is not looking for his next interim girl but he will keep his options open for tonight.

He gets a beer from the keg and then visits with some of his friends catching up on all the gossip of what happened before he arrived. Luke tells Logan that Veronica came and his friends notice that Logan's interest perks up when he hears that bit of news.

He makes his way through the living room and outside to the patio where he sees that Veronica is dancing with a sophomore. She seems to be really enjoying herself. It is obvious that she likes to dance and she feels comfortable moving to the music.

Duncan and Meg come out on the patio and talk to Logan. They both notice his absorption with Veronica. Duncan also notices that Logan doesn't ask him about Lilly. In fact he hasn't asked about her or talked about her this break up. He isn't asking her to get back together and he is not asking Duncan or Meg to talk to Lilly about getting back with him. Duncan doesn't know what to think about that.

Meg notices that her 09er friends are outright flirting with Logan or positioning themselves to be noticed by Logan. She is shocked to see that he is not interested in them. She can see that he is watching Veronica.

Logan likes this party. There are lots of hot girls, the music is good and everyone seems to be ready to have some fun. He notices that Veronica is kept busy dancing. He totally gets why the guys are lining up to dance with her. She is hot and can really move to the music. Tonight while most of the girls are really dressed up, she is wearing simple white Capri pants with a black silk cami with white lace edging. She has an almost see through black blouse over the cami and despite the fact she is short, flat black sandals. Her toe nails and fingernails are painted black. She has her hair pulled into a pony tail at the top of her head and tied with a black velvet tie. She has on minimal make up and simple jewelry. She looks beautiful without trying too hard. Most girls don't understand how attractive that is to guys.

Madison and Kim come out of the house and sit on the patio. They talk very negatively about how cheap Veronica's outfit looks and how she looks slutty. Duncan notices Logan's smirk and can tell he is thinking that Madison and Kim should not be criticizing other girls about looking slutty.

As always, Logan ignores the girl talk. He long ago realized that girls can be a lot harsher than guys when they talk about each other.

Veronica is having a lot of fun dancing. There are lots of single guys there who are happy to dance with her. She parries their attempts to get her to drink more or even go out on a date with them.

After she takes a break from dancing and gets a drink, Logan goes over and puts his hand out for her to dance. She pauses only a short moment and then takes his hand allowing him to lead her onto the dance area. Logan, a good dancer, confidently pulls Veronica close and looks down at her as the music starts

He leans down and says in her ear, "I like your sandals. Did you have to get new ones or have you hid them from Back Up?"

She smiles up at him and tells him that he chewed her favorite shoes so she had to substitute the sandals at the last minute.

As they start to move to the music, she tells him about how her puppy dug a hole under the fence and she spent an hour looking for him. A little indignantly she tells him that when she gave up and went back home, he was back in the yard again.

He smiles thinking of her getting increasingly worried and upset and then finding him back home. He says, "Maybe he has a girlfriend."

"Ha," she exclaims, "I think he was responsible for all the over turned trash cans in the neighborhood."

Laughing he says, "Maybe he likes trashy girls?"

Veronica laughs and continues to follow his steps.

He leads her easily through increasingly complicated dance steps until Veronica ends up collapsing in laughter and exhaustion into his arms. They looked good together and it was clear that they were having fun.

The music slows down and Logan pulls the petite blond even closer and moves to the music. It is a romantic song. The mood between the couple changes and they are quiet. Logan likes the feel of her in his arms. She fits perfectly and he likes how her head is just below his chin. He feels big and strong around her.

Veronica can see why so many girls wait their turn to be with Logan. He is fun, handsome and outright sexy. If the rumors are correct he is skilled in the loving department as well. She is not sure about the rumors about his sexual prowess, but she can attest to the fact he is a skilled dancer. What impressed Veronica was that he danced because he liked to dance. He moved easily to the music and wasn't afraid to innovate as he went along.

The couple both feels the pull of the other. Logan is surprised because he has not been attracted, really attracted, to anyone in a long time. It is weird that she was right there and he never noticed her until he saw her in her soccer uniform. Who would have thought that he could be so attracted to a soccer uniform?

Veronica is also surprised that she is attracted to Logan Echolls. Of course she noticed he is good looking, but she has never really noticed how broad his shoulders are, how muscular his chest is and tight his buttocks is. She definitely didn't notice how strong he was or wonder about how good it felt to be held in his arms. She wonders what the name of that cologne he wears is.

When the song is over, Logan puts his hand on her back and easily directs her towards the bar to get a drink. Veronica's refusal to date him made him think. She was resistant because she felt he was going back to Lilly but he could also see that she really had a negative view of him. For some reason that bothered him. He knows a lot of the kids in the school think he is a spoiled, rich, selfish kid. Normally he lets their opinions roll off his back. They don't know what his life is like and they probably wouldn't believe him if he told them he would trade his life for theirs. Veronica's negative view of him rankles. He is more than the selfish, spoiled boy she thinks he is. He thought about it and decided to let her get to know him a little before he asks her out again. He is experienced with girls and he knows Veronica is attracted to him. For the first time, someone's opinion besides Lilly's matters to him. He really wants to date Veronica. He wants to see what a relationship would be like with a girl like her. He hasn't had to win a girl in a long time. He finds he feels alive for the first time that he is not with Lilly.

Keeping the mood and conversation light, he asks her if she has ever been surfing. When she tells him she hasn't, he talks about how he and the guys were surfing today after school. She listens as he talks about how great the waves were. His arms are waving as they talk and he describes how he took a bad fall and almost got hit by his board. She had not realized what a good story teller he is.

Logan is struck by how beautiful she looks with her face flushed and her hair messy. Her eyes are sparkling and her smile lights up her face. She obviously loves to dance and enjoyed the music.

What Logan didn't see was that Veronica, who is normally closed off around the 09ers, looked happy with him and he looked more open and happy with her. Coupled with the rumors Logan was interested in her, the 09ers found Logan and Veronica's time together to be very gossip worthy.

Veronica has never heard Logan talk about surfing before. It is obviously something he loves and his manner changes when he is excited about something. His smile is more open and his eyes are a light brown. Normally handsome, Logan's obvious happiness causes Veronica's breath to catch. She asks him a few questions about how long he has surfed and what about the sport appeals to him. She had not realized how into it he was.

After getting a drink and resting for a few minutes while they talk, Logan puts his hand at her back and says, "Let's go and sample this buffet that John has been bragging about all week." He watches as her face lights up at the thought of food. Shaking his head a little, he teases, "Most girls get excited when they talk about clothes, jewelry or purses."

He laughs when she gives him a wry look and then he stops her and looks down at her. She looks up at him in question. He says quietly, "I get the impression that you are not like most girls."

Shaking her head at him she says, "No Logan, I am like most girls. It's just you are used to being around girls who have the option to be interested in things."

He follows her as she walks towards the buffet. He hadn't really thought about it before, but she is right. He hasn't had many dealings with girls that can't buy what they want. His mother has closets full of clothes, purses, shoes and of course, she has a safe to hold her jewelry. Most of the girls he knows are the same. Lilly has a closet full of clothes and has a credit card to go buy whatever she wants.

He thinks about how Veronica's father is the Sheriff. He is not sure if her mother works or not. He doesn't know where she lives, but he imagines the sheriff doesn't make very much money.

The buffet is large and has a wide selection. Veronica is excited about eating. Dancing has made her hungry. Logan is just happy to watch her select food.

Veronica notices that Logan doesn't take any seafood and she points out the shrimp and crab selection. Logan tells her he is allergic to shellfish and she looks at him with pity and genuinely says, "Oh, how awful!"

Logan laughs at how she sees his allergy as a tragedy. He leads her over to an empty table and sits with her. Veronica, although a little uneasy about being seen with Logan, sits and digs into her food.

Logan is a master at keeping a conversation going. He asks her how the project she is working on in journalism is going.

"Miss D. loaned me out to the yearbook committee,' she pouts a little. She tells him how she has been taking pictures of the teachers, administration and the school.

Logan listens to her as she explains that the senior class is putting together a DVD of their experience at Neptune High. She has been trying to get pictures of everyone in the senior class for this year's part of the retrospective.

"I notice that you aren't using a school-issued camera." He is a little taken a back when she gets excited about her camera explaining that she saved for it for a year and then talks about the features.

Although Logan understands very little about what she is talking about, he is a little transfixed by her obvious expertise and excitement. Amused and entranced, he says, "Are you thinking of taking photography in college?"

Veronica is really surprised at their conversation. She has talked more to Logan tonight than she has talked to him the five years they have been going to school together. He is really easy to talk to. She tells him she is planning on taking business and photography. She asks him his future plans and he tells her that he is planning on traveling and spending some of his father's money.

He immediately sees that she is not impressed with his future plans. He can see her close off.

Veronica listening to Logan talk about bumming around Europe is reminded how she and Logan are not from the same worlds. She looks around and notices that everyone seemed to be looking at them. She sighs a little in frustration and comments that she doesn't miss being the center of attention since she and Victor broke up.

He leaned in and said, "Oh Veronica, the guys are always looking at you."

She gives him an 'are you for real?' look and he laughs at her. Teasingly he says, "The truth is they are asking each other why you are still resisting dating me?"

Amused, she laughs up at him and playfully slaps his hand as it rests on the table near hers. She shakes her head and informs him, "I bet they are wondering why Logan is wasting his time with her when there are plenty of more suitable girls who would jump at the chance to date him."

Catching her hand, he holds it to his chest. He quietly says, "I am not interested in the other girls."

Veronica meets his gaze and sighs. She says, "I remember your first day at Neptune Middle School." He watches her as she talks. "You only had eyes for Lilly then and you only have eyes for Lilly now."

She pulls her hand away and finishes, "I am careful who I date Logan."

"I heard that you only date older guys," Logan mentions.

Shaking her head she answers, "It is not a rule." She looks away and then looks back at him and adds, "That just seems to be how it works out."

Very quietly he challenges, "I am not your average high school guy."

She nods in agreement telling him, "I get that." She bites her bottom lip and meets his gaze. "The thing is Logan, you may not be an average high school guy but you are most definitely Lilly's guy." With that, she picks up her plate and stands. She says a quiet goodbye and walks away heading into the house leaving Logan standing watching her graceful exit.

Logan does not pick an interim girl that night. Lilly's posse let her know that Logan is going after Veronica Mars. They send her a video of them dancing and then eating together by the pool.


	3. Chapter 3

_Story so Far: Logan, Lilly, Meg and Duncan are the Fab 4. Logan and Lilly break up and Logan sees Veronica in her soccer uniform. He thinks she may make a good interim girl for the time he and Lilly are broken up. Veronica is not interested in dating Logan. The rumors about Logan and Veronica persist_.

Monday morning, much earlier than she wants to be out of bed, Veronica parks her Le Baron in the parking lot at Neptune High School. She likes living in California. The weather is most often warm and she never gets tired of the ocean views. Today is no exception; it is going to be a beautiful day. At this hour, it takes something really exciting or the enforced learning mandated by state law for her to be awake. As she walks through the hall towards her locker, she notices the buzz in the air and briefly wonders what excitement happened at John's party after she left. She is glad that this year she is not the center of controversy like she has been her first two years attending high school.

She frowns slightly as she thinks about how lately she has somehow become collateral damage in the volatile relationship between Lilly Kane and Logan Echolls. Hopefully they will get back together soon and the school will enjoy the harmonious phase of their reunion for a while. She can then fade into the background and return to the peaceful existence she has carefully constructed this school year.

Her face lights up in a smile when she sees her friend Mac. Veronica has to admit she likes her friend's hair better now; although she did like the purple streaks she displayed last year. When her family moved to Neptune, Veronica walked into her first class at Neptune Elementary School feeling uncomfortable and a little scared. Mac had smiled at her in greeting and encouraged Veronica to sit next to her. Veronica had liked Mac's intelligence, individuality and dry sense of humor immediately. Mac had immediately warned her that hanging out with her would socially brand her as a freak. Veronica had smiled and said, "Well my father is the new sheriff so most people are a little afraid to be my friend." Mac laughed and said, "My name is Cindy MacKenzie but people who know me call me Mac." They had been friends ever since.

She walks over to talk to her by her locker. As the two friends exchange greetings, they notice that a lot of the students are looking at them.

Mac, a little uncomfortable with the public attention, says, "Um, V?"

Veronica looks over from watching the other students to her friend of five years. She answers a little absently, "What?"

"Did something happen at the 09er party on Friday you might want to share with your best friend?" she asks with a questioning tone.

Veronica frowns a little and answers, "No, not really."

Her friend gets a small smile and repeats, "Not really?"

Veronica's frown gets bigger at her friend's amusement. The taller brunette tosses her blue streaked hair back, "Let me guess. This has something to do with you and a certain tall and handsome king of the 09ers?"

"No," her petit friend exclaims forcefully.

A few of their fellow students look over at her raised voice. Veronica glares a little at them and they move away.

She looks back at Mac and sees her biting her lip trying to stop from laughing. Exasperated at her friend's mirth, she says, "I am glad you are getting amusement from my life."

Mac who is not intimidated by her friend's anger, laughs.

Veronica sighs and tells her, "I danced with Logan. Then I told him that we couldn't date and I went home." She looks at her friend and finishes her explanation, "That is all that happened."

Erica having arrived and heard Veronica's denial speaks up, "Actually the talk is about you and Meg." The redhead smiles when she sees the looks of surprise from both her friends.

Mac turns and looks at Veronica and teases, "Going for the popular girls in the school now?"

Erica not to be left out, adds, "Something you want to tell your best friends?"

Pantomiming opening a door, Mac says, "Come on out V."

Unimpressed with her friends' attempts at humor, she turns to Erica and demands, "Explain."

Erica happily tells her friends the gossip that is going around about Meg and Veronica. Veronica shakes her head in wonder and summarizes, "So in 'Truth or Dare' at John's party, Meg said if she had to kiss a girl, it would be me?"

Erica nods, her eyes sparkling with amusement.

Mac, unable to hold in her glee, giggles which causes Erica to break down as well.

"Well, think about this, you two amateur stand ups," Veronica says with her hands on her hips while she watches her friends' chuckle. "If everyone thinks I go both ways now, they are going to be wondering about our friendship and how close we are." She uses hand quotations when she says 'close'.

The two girls find the situation a little less amusing now. They are used to their friend being a topic of conversation; after all, she dated two really popular guys in the school. They are uncertain how they might feel about being in the limelight along with her.

Veronica sees their humor dissipate and her trademark smirk appears. She opens her arms in a universal 'give me a hug' gesture and says, "Group hug."

She laughs when her friends both decline to hug her. With a faux pout she says, "I'm hurt." Then she tells them she will see them in second period and heads off towards her locker to get her English book ignoring the looks and comments she gets along the way.

As she enters first period, she immediately notices Meg's red eyes and how Duncan is not sitting in his usual seat next to his long time girlfriend. He has moved to a desk at the back of the room. She also notices the looks she is getting from the rest of her classmates. It would appear that the grapevine in Neptune High School has already circulated the latest rumors. She sighs and walks over to talk to Meg. When she is standing beside Meg's desk she greets her friend, "Good Morning Meg."

Meg looks at her friend and sees the sympathy. She sees Veronica is not angry or upset and has to bite her lip to make sure she doesn't cry.

Veronica, in a voice pitched loudly enough for everyone to hear, teases, "So Meg, I hear you were foolish and stayed at John's party long enough to play 'Truth or Dare'."

Meg unable to speak, just nods.

Placing her hand on her chest Veronica says, "I was shocked to learn that if you had to kiss a girl, you would pick me and not one of your cheerleading buddies."

Meg smiles a little at Veronica's tone.

"That is one of the nicest things anyone has ever said to me." Veronica adds just a little dramatically as she sits down next to Meg in Duncan's usual seat.

Obvious comfortable, Veronica puts her messenger bag down and gets out her phone. She briefly looks at her upset friend and says, "I am going to be working at the Hut on Wednesday and Thursday evening. You and Duncan should come and visit me. I will buy you both a latte."

She goes back to texting on her phone once she sees that Meg is calming down a little.

Meg gets a text and opens her phone. She sees she has over thirty texts. She scrolls down and opens the one from Veronica.

VM: Is Duncan upset with you?"

Meg nods.

VM: Did you break up?

Meg: idk. He just stopped talking 2 me.

Veronica frowns. She holds out her hand and Meg silently hands her the phone. Veronica looks at the messages her friend has been receiving and deletes them. She says in a lazy tone, "I love this delete button. I wish it worked in real life."

Meg appreciates her friend's support and point. Sometimes she wishes she could push a button and delete the people who hurt her, but she can't. She takes her phone when Veronica hands it back to her admiring her confident way of handling the gossip she has been subjected to. She was worried that Veronica might be upset that she is once again the subject of school gossip. This morning walking to class and hearing what people are saying about her has been awful and now her boyfriend won't talk to her. Veronica being angry or upset with her would make things much worse. She values Veronica's friendship and would hate to lose that over a stupid drinking game.

The class is busy texting Veronica's unconcerned reaction to the rumors about her and Meg and the fact Veronica is now sitting in Duncan's desk.

Logan got a text in first period outlining Veronica's first encounter with Meg since the explosion of gossip about Meg's supposed lesbian desires for her. He smiles at how Veronica openly and smoothly supported her friend. He has to admire how easily she handles the whispering along the grapevine that is directed her way.

Hungry and anticipating eating the only meal from the cafeteria she truly likes, Veronica walks out to her usual table. Her mood is upbeat as she surveys the lasagna and garlic toast on her tray. Her friends from the soccer team walking with her are laughing at her excitement over Italian food. They are used to her almost freakish ability to eat her body weight in food and never gain a pound.

Happy and hungry, she sets down her tray and pulls out her chair. Just before she sits a booming voice rings out over the Quad.

"Mars, come over here. I have a question I want to ask you,' Dick loudly exclaims.

Feeling the eyes of her fellow students on her, Veronica looks over at Dick and sees he is sitting with Madison, Kim, John, Lilly and Duncan. She sees Logan is sitting at the next table with Meg, Cassidy, Peter and Luke. She is disturbed to see that Duncan has openly chosen not to sit with Meg. It is bad enough that he is ignoring her in class, but sitting away from her here in the Quad is a big deal. Meg will be humiliated and hurt.

She is kind of impressed that Logan is sitting with Meg though. It is his way of defending her. No one will torment Meg if she is sitting next to him; that would be suicidal.

Outwardly calm, Veronica excuses herself, giving one last longing look at her much anticipated meal and walks over to talk to Dick. When she arrives she starts their conversation with, "You bellowed?"

Logan smiles at Veronica's tone with Dick. The noise level in the Quad dims as most everyone wants to hear what Dick and the other 09ers are going to say to Veronica. There have been a lot of rumors about how Meg is interested in Veronica and it looks like her boyfriend of four years broke up with her over it. Meg has been seen crying and running into the bathroom after being teased. Duncan has not been seen with Meg today. The 'It' couple has parted; that is the number one topic of the day. Veronica was a topic of conversation as the rumors were Logan was interested in her and Lilly was upset. Now it appears that she broke up the other couple of the Fab 4.

Dick looks at his 09er friends and sees they are entertained that he is going to confront Veronica Mars. He looks back at Veronica and says loudly, "So Veronica did you hear that Miss Meg Manning admitted out loud that you are her girl crush?"

Logan sees Meg blush and look down. He had also been playing 'Truth or Dare' when Meg was asked who she would want to kiss if she had to kiss a girl. After a blush and a long pause, she had named Veronica Mars. Logan had privately agreed with her but had immediately seen that it was a mistake to say that in front of the other 09ers.

Duncan had been very upset about the rumors and had been very cool to Meg since the party. He has been teased about his best friend and now his girlfriend wanting Veronica Mars. It is very embarrassing for a guy to lose his girl to another girl.

Logan does not understand why Duncan is so upset. It was super bitch Madison who asked Meg the question in the first place and of course, started all the rumors. Everyone knows that she is jealous of Meg and would like to date Duncan or Logan. Besides, Duncan should know how these games can get out of hand. To Logan's way of thinking, Duncan's negative reaction just made the gossip stronger.

Veronica saunters over to stand in front of Dick. She shows no upset in her voice or on her face when she answers, "I did hear that if Meg had to kiss a girl she would pick me."

Laughing loudly with his friends, Dick asks, "Is Meg your secret girl crush as well?"

Almost every student in the Quad is listening to the conversation between Veronica and Dick. They watch as Veronica slowly steps very close to Dick. She bites her bottom lip and slowly runs her finger up Dick's chest towards his face. Predictably Dick's expression changes to one of interest and Madison looks like she is going to blow a gasket. Veronica though is focused on her finger's slow progress. A feeling of anticipation builds and everyone is waiting to see what is going to happen.

Finally Veronica raises her head and meets Dick's gaze. She leans in even closer.

Without a word she tilts her head and just looks at Dick. It is as if they are alone. Reaching up she gently taps him on the nose and says, "Last man on earth." Everyone watches as she then points to Meg. After a poignant pause, she says, "Meg." To everyone's surprise, she puts her finger to her lips as if she is thinking and then says clearly, "I guess I will choose Meg."

There is a short stunned silence and then Veronica turns and walks back to her table amidst the general laughter and Dick's voice yelling at her that she is a bitch.

Logan leans into Meg and whispers, "And that is how you handle Dick Casablancas." Meg meets Logan's gaze and sees his laughter at what Veronica said and his admiration for her slap down of the popular 09er. Meg has hung around with the 09ers her whole life and knows she should be able to handle them better. She is so relieved and grateful that Veronica has supported her and handled the rumors about them so openly and easily.

Logan is also impressed. Veronica has clarified the rumor and then stomped Dick for daring to call her out. A lot of the gossip now is going to be about Veronica's smack down of Dick during lunch. Veronica is a true friend to Meg.

When Veronica gets near her table, the girls all put up their fingers in a horn sign. She gives them a horn sign back and then sits in front of her tray at the table. She gets some high fives from people walking past for her verbal confrontation with Dick Casablanca's. Her friends are not surprised that she took on the rich, spoiled 09er. She doesn't care about rumors and she doesn't want to belong to the elite 09er group. She is not a girl that you should mess with; she will definitely come back at you.

The other gossip worthy thing is how Logan handled the whole situation. Although he drove to school with Duncan, Logan had bumped fists with his best friend and sought out Meg. He found her by her locker and with one look had dispersed the crowd gathered around to hear the gossip and to possibly look good to their friends by tormenting the obviously upset blond. Seeing the students had gone on their way, he slung his arm around Meg's shoulders and walked with her towards her first period. Grateful, Meg had leaned into Logan allowing his presence to protect her. At lunch he walked out onto the Quad with Duncan talking easily to him about possibly going surfing after school. While Duncan had ignored Meg and sat at a table with his sister, Logan had walked over and sat next to Meg at the table where she sat alone. Although most of the 09ers like Meg, none of them wanted to pick a side in this situation so they were sitting at other tables. Once Logan made his feelings clear, Cassidy, Luke and Peter came over and sat with them.

Lilly Kane, used to being in the limelight, did not see a problem with what Meg said during 'Truth or Dare'. To her way of thinking gossip just means you are still important; good or bad. In fact bad gossip lasts longer and that is good. She doesn't understand why Meg is even upset at being teased about having a clandestine relationship with a hot girl. It sounds fun to her. Sitting at the table she watches Veronica's interaction with Dick and is truly amused. Lilly Kane is unimpressed that Dick is trying to upset Meg in the most public setting possible. She is also a person that is not afraid to stand up for herself. She shook her head at Dick and said loudly, "I don't know why you are mad, I would pick Meg as well."

Logan is not surprised at Lilly's defense of Meg. She and Meg have been close for years. Logan knows that although Lilly doesn't get Meg's pink, sweet and innocent persona, she loves her and no one gets to mess with her.

Logan leans into Meg and asks, "What is with the finger signs the soccer team is giving Veronica?"

Meg looks over and smiles a little. She says, "It means 'If you take on the bull, sometimes you get the horns."

Meg adds, "It is the mantra of the team but I think it especially pertains to V."

Logan nods his understanding and Meg watches Logan as he looks over at Veronica in admiration.

While she is quietly eating the pizza Logan ordered and listening to the guys talk about Luke's new phone, Meg thinks about how Veronica, Logan and Lilly publicly defended her. She is so grateful that she has friends who are supporting her. So many of her 09er girl friends, fellow cheerleaders and kids she has knows for years are being mean to her about Duncan breaking up with her. Not that he actually broke up with her; he just stopped talking to her.

Veronica digs into her lasagna and sighs in bliss. It is so good! She listens to the talk around the table about soccer practice and the fact the coach is making some cuts now preseason is over and the season is set to start next week. She thinks about how she seems to attract gossip. Her freshman and sophomore years were eventful. Her junior year she just wanted to have a quiet, ordinary year. It had started off so well. She had decided to not date anyone from Neptune High and things had been going very smoothly and uneventfully. She had faded nicely into the background. Then Logan had looked her direction. Now she is back on the school's gossip radar. The talk is that she is going after Logan Echolls and trying to take him from Lilly Kane or alternately, depending on which version of gossip you subscribe to, she is going to be Logan's next interim girl. Now thanks to Meg staying late enough at John's party, she is the girl who has attracted Meg Manning and broke up her long term relationship with the richest 09er of all, Duncan Kane. So much for avoiding gossip this year.

Meg comes out of her thoughts about Duncan when she hears the guys talking about arranging a poker night. She listens while the guys decide that the game will be on Friday night and how it will be a $500 buy in.

"I want to play," Meg cuts in.

The guys looked surprised and Luke laughs at the thought of sweet, innocent Meg playing poker with them.

Logan looks at Meg closely and says, "DK is going to be there."

Meg meets Logan's gaze and says, "His money is good. I can take it just the same as the rest of yours."

Logan sees the determination in her face and says, "Sure. You are welcome to play.' He teases, "I doubt beating DK will be tough but the rest of us aren't going to be as easy."

The guys laugh and the discussion goes on to who all they should invite.

Meg smiles. She has a plan to thank Veronica for being such a supportive friend. Veronica can take her place at the poker game. She could use the $4000 she will win and the guys could use a little ego deflation by having a girl take their money. It is a win/win situation. For the first time that day she feels upbeat. Although Logan doesn't understand her desire to play poker, he is happy to see her excited about something. He hates to see her so upset.

Near the end of lunch Logan looks over and sees Veronica visiting with her friends. He really enjoyed how she stood up to Dick. The look on Dick's face was hilarious when he realized what Veronica had said to him. He can't believe that he never noticed how smart mouthed she was before. He doesn't have many memories of Veronica but he had noticed how close her relationship with Josh was when Neptune lost the district football game. Josh had walked off the field obviously dejected. It was his last football game as a Neptune Pirate. He had hugged his parents and little sister but had held Veronica in his arms. Logan noticed that Veronica didn't say anything; she just held him. It was like words weren't needed. He remembers thinking it would be nice to have someone who really cared about him and would be there for him.

He also remembers how vocal and upset Ashley had been when Victor broke up with her for Veronica. Ashley and some friends had confronted Veronica at a basketball game that Logan had been at. Veronica instead of being upset or arguing with Ashley had looked totally bored listening to Ashley's rant. While Ashley was talking, Veronica opened her phone and read a text she got. She then texted back, completely dismissing the upset head cheerleader from her mind. When she finished the text, she pulled a package of gum out of her purse and offered some to her friends who were sitting around her. Ashley and her friends stomped away; embarrassed at being ignored and unsure how to handle someone who wasn't intimidated by them or interested in what they had to say. Veronica had returned to watching the game. He remembers thinking that Veronica did all but yawn while Ashley was talking to her. Even more impressive was that she quietly accepted the soda Victor brought her from the concession stand. As far as Logan could see, Veronica didn't even bring up the visit from Victor's ex. She just listened to Victor talk about something and then nodded. At the time Logan had been recently broken up with Lilly and scoping out girls but he remembers he had been impressed by Veronica's poise.

He is finding there is a lot he didn't notice about her before. He's noticing now.

.


	4. Chapter 4

_Story so Far: Logan and Lilly break up. He decides to choose Veronica Mars as his next interim girl and she refuses. He begins to notice how smart, funny and sexy she is. Mostly thought Logan sees that she is real. He thinks he might want to date someone who wants a real relationship._

_Wednesday Evening_

Veronica loves to work at The Hut on karaoke night. It can be painful on the eardrums at times, but it is always entertaining. She sits the 09ers near the stage and gives them four tables together. It seems like there will be a lot of them there tonight.

When Meg arrives at the entrance, she is upset. She had been determined to talk to Duncan today but her long-term boyfriend managed to avoid her. He has not answered any of her texts or calls and now his mailbox is full so she can't leave him any messages. Today Lilly told her she would talk to him and call her later. Logan and Lilly both seem to be puzzled at Duncan's behavior.

Meg looks around and sees she is temporarily alone with Veronica. She confides in her friend that she is going to have to accept that Duncan is through with her. She says, "He wouldn't just break up with me for this. He must have wanted out and is using this as an excuse."

Veronica feels badly for her friend but privately thinks that perhaps Meg is better off without Duncan. She gently says, "Well if he is stupid enough to break up with you, the least he could do is be man enough to tell you."

Meg gets a little teary but agrees, "He should." Veronica can see she is starting to get mad at his behavior. She puts her hand on her friend's arm and says, "Hey. How about Friday night we have a movie night at my house? I will buy the ice cream and popcorn."

Touched by Veronica's concern, Meg tries to smile. She says, "We should do something Friday night and I have the perfect idea."

Relieved her friend is wanting to go out, Veronica says, "Sounds good. Where are you thinking we should go?"

Meg's small smile widens and she says, "It is a surprise."

When more customers arrive, Meg covertly looks at the 09er table and Veronica can easily see her trepidation at sitting with them.

Veronica firmly tells Meg that Duncan is a total ass for not supporting her and that they will go out and have some fun on Friday night. Meg is really thankful for Veronica's feverent support and gratefully sits when Veronica places her at the table with the girls' soccer team. She knows them through Veronica and they all easily accept her into the group.

Veronica heads back to the door knowing that Meg will be safe with her teammates.

When Duncan arrives with Logan, Veronica greets Logan but completely ignores Duncan. She smiles and asks cheerfully, "Table for one?"

Logan smirks at her point blank rudeness directed at his friend. Duncan spent the drive telling him how Lilly was upset at him and berated him for his treatment of Meg. Logan well versed in how sharp Lilly's words can be, had sympathized with his friend's pain but had frankly told his friend he was reacting badly to the whole situation. Now Veronica is letting Duncan know she is not happy with how he is treating her friend.

Logan meeting her gaze says, "DK and I will sit with Dick and the others."

Veronica looks at Duncan and makes a show of being surprised it is him. She says very sweetly to Duncan, "Oh I didn't recognize you with your head up your ass."

She meets Logan's gaze and says formally, "Please follow me."

She turns and leads Logan and Duncan over to the 09er table. Logan can't help but smile at the comment. She can be so funny at times. As he follows with Duncan, his second thought is how beautiful she is when she is mad. Logan really likes her spicy side. She doesn't often show it but she can be a spitfire when she is challenged or is protective.

Logan puts his jacket over the chair next to Duncan and then walks over to talk to Meg. He leans down and whispers in her ear and then listens to what she says in return.

He nods in greeting as he looks around the table full of girls. Without fanfare, he puts his hand out to Meg. He meets her gaze and clearly says, "Let's go Meg, I ordered you your favorite drink." Whatever she sees in his look reassures her and she takes his hand allowing him to gently pull her to stand. He looks around the table and smiles charmingly, "Please excuse us. Enjoy your evening."

Veronica walking by as she takes a couple to their table, smiles encouragingly at Meg. Logan by walking over to get Meg is letting the other 09ers know that Meg is still his friend and even though he is Duncan Kane's best friend, Meg is to be treated with respect.

Meg's cheeks are pink as she takes Logan's hand and he gallantly pulls it through his arm and walks her over to the tables in front of the stage and sits her in between him and Cassidy.

After settling Meg next to him on the other side to Duncan, Logan watches Veronica as she escorts patrons to their tables. She has a sweet, friendly manner; often smiling and laughing as she converses.

Many of the customers seem to know her. He guesses she has worked at The Hut for a while. He does not miss that a lot of the males are interested in her and he can see that many ask for her number or ask her out. She refuses but uses humor to make the situation comfortable for everyone.

Lilly arrives with Madison and Kim just before the karaoke contest starts. She walks in as if she owns the place and expects everyone to notice her. Of course, they do.

Interested, Logan watches as Veronica greets the trio. He can see Lilly deliberately moves to stand next to Veronica. Cynically he decides that she is showing the Neptune High crowd that if they are going to compare her to Veronica, she will win easily. It is very obvious that Lilly does not see Veronica as a real challenge to her for Logan's affection.

They are both blond, have long hair and blue eyes but that is where the similarities end. Lilly is normally a few inches taller and in her impossibly high heels, she towers over the petit hostess. Lilly has on lots of make up and her skin looks flawless like wearing only really expensive make up can do. Her dress is skin tight and she oozes seduction and sex with her plunging neckline and ample figure. Lilly is the object of desire from the opposite sex and of course, she knows it and revels in it.

Logan also sees that Veronica is aware of Lilly's plan to stand next to her and show Logan and everyone else that she is so much more. He watches to see Veronica's reaction and sees her small smirk. Veronica is not intimidated and truly doesn't seem to worry about Lilly's actions.

As he thinks about it, he decides that it is her openness that most attracts him. With Veronica there is no pretense; no underlying plan. What you see is what you get. She makes no apology for how she is and she is not interested in the pomp and circumstance; she is interested in the truth.

At first he thought she was sweet and quiet like Meg. He likes Meg but he is not attracted to her. She is too meek and lets others take advantage of her. She tries to be what you want her to be. Now though he sees that Veronica is not going to be what you want her to be; she is going to be herself. She is not meek and is not going to take abuse from anyone. She is not impressed with the 09ers' money and things. She doesn't care if she belongs in their exclusive circle. In fact she has been asked out by most of the 09er guys and has always declined. Hell she doesn't want to date him and most girls would agree just to get nearer to his parents or his wealth.

He is not used to dealing with someone like Veronica. He never thought he would be interested in her. Hell, he never actually thought women like her existed. He has grown up in the public eye always putting on a show; part of the perfect family with perfect parents in a perfect home; perfectly happy. He has never known real.

The idea that he could mean more than his money, famous parents or looks; that someone could be interested in him is a powerful draw to him. Meg and Duncan are his closest friends and they know that Lilly fools around him and never support him. The rest of the 09ers would drop him like a bad habit if his parents fell out of social favor or lost their money. Although Logan always has someone around him, he knows he is alone.

The idea of having a girlfriend like Veronica is like a fantasy. He wants it but knows deep in his heart, he is probably not the type of guy it will ever happen for. Guys like him end up with girls that fool around on them and spend their money.

Yet Veronica did date Josh and Victor. He wonders if that is what attracted them to her. Were they tired of the superficial relationships and wanted someone to see them; not their academic prowess, promising future or future professional athletic career? Were they so devoted to Veronica because she saw the real them? Was it the real relationship they had with her that kept them so attached? Could he really be in a real relationship?

Absorbed in his thoughts about Veronica, Logan does not notice that Lilly has arrived at the table and is bending over to hug Meg making sure that Logan gets a good long look at her ample assets.

The 09ers at the table see that Lilly has finally stepped up to put Veronica in her place. Lilly is pointedly, by walking with Veronica, showing that she is better in all ways. Dick is especially happy that Miss, Super Bitch, Veronica Mars is going to be embarrassed.

They smirk and look at Logan to see his reaction; expecting him to be staring at Lilly. They are flabbergasted to see that he is not responding to Lilly's presence beside him at the 09er table. He is thinking deeply and watching Veronica walk away.

The group sees Lilly falter when she sees that Logan is staring at her nemesis. She gathers her confidence and bends over giving Logan a show designed to reel him back into her fold. She is demonstrating ownership except Logan is not reacting to the tug on his leash.

He is looking at Veronica like a starving man looks at a meal. The crazy thing is he doesn't seem to be aware of the fact he is almost drooling over the girl who the rest of the 09ers deem not worthy of their time and or consideration.

Veronica herself is totally unaware of Logan's stare. After she led the three 09er girls to their table, she turned to head back to the front door; uninterested to watch Queen Lilly pacify King Logan. She has seen their reunions many times over the last few years. To her, it is about time. Maybe the rumors about Logan wanting her will stop.

Lilly ends up sitting across the table from her brother and next to Dick and Madison. She is stunned that Logan is not reacting to her.

Logan looks back at his table and picks up his drink. He thinks about when Veronica arrived the first day of sophomore year on Victor's arm, everyone was shocked. Logan though, had no trouble believing that Victor would get rid of Ashley. She was hot, rich and captain of the cheerleaders, but she was a total bitch. She wouldn't care for anyone but herself. He remembers that DK told him that it took Victor part of the summer to convince Veronica to date him steady. He wonders how Victor and Josh won Veronica over. He wonders if Duncan still keeps in contact with Victor and if he could find out.

He looks around the table to see some of the 09ers are looking at him with 'What the hell' looks. He looks back at them with a 'What?' look. He wonders what he missed and why they are all looking at him.

The music starts and Logan's attention transfers to the MC who is outlining the rules on stage. He leans back and watches the first few performances with the rest of the 09ers. As he expected, some are good and some are well, not so good.

At 9 pm, a young, dark haired policeman comes in and Logan notices that Veronica goes over immediately to talk to him. She hands him a cup of coffee in a To Go cup and a bag. He is only half a foot taller than her but has dark hair with dark eyes, broad shoulders and a small waist. He looks good standing with her.

Logan watches as he pulls Veronica into his body with his free arm and he leans closer to talk to her privately. He doesn't lean down to kiss her. He wonders what they are talking about. He knows he has no right to be upset at who she dates, but he finds he is upset.

Lilly notices what Logan is watching and sees his jealousy. Her eyes narrow and then she smiles. Lilly loudly comments that really hot guys seem to want Veronica.

This brings Logan's attention back to her. Madison snickers and says, "Well I guess some guys don't care about looks." Kim not to be left out talks about how Veronica dresses poorly. The 09er girls talk about how tom boyish she is and how flat chested she is.

Meg leans in and whispers, "I remember them in middle school until their parents bought them new chests."

Logan looks at Meg in shock and says, "Meg Manning being bitchy." He leans in and whispers, "I have never seen this side of you. I like it!"

She smiles a little at him and says, "See why I didn't pick any of them to kiss?"

Logan laughs out loud and says, "Well I can't comment as I have done more than kiss most of them."

Meg grimaces and distastefully says, 'TMI Logan".

He continues to laugh at her.

After the next singer finishes, Meg leans into Logan and says, "V is not serious about Leo."

Logan looks at her in question.

Meg adds, "Leo D'Amato, the deputy that was here."

"He seems serious about her," Logan points out.

Meg nods and shares, "When we double dated, he talked about transferring to wherever V goes to college."

Logan frowns a little at that information. Meg continues "Veronica told me that she likes him a lot and he is really good looking but she doesn't feel that way about him."

There is a pause while Logan processes what Meg is telling him. Meg gently puts her hand on his forearm and once he looks at her, she asks, "Are you really interested in Veronica or is she a pawn in some game with Lilly?"

Uncomfortable with the conversation, Logan reverts to jackass manner to deflect her question. He says, "Oh is Mother Meg feeling defensive about Big Bad Logan dating her friend?"

She bites her lip and says, "It's just Veronica and Lilly are both my friends." Meeting his gaze she says, "I don't want either of them or you to be hurt."

Logan's gaze softens. He sighs a little and leans closer to Meg. He says, "I don't know Veronica that well." Pausing while he figures out what to say he sips some of his soda. Finally he tells her, "I just like so much about her. I would like to get to know her better."

Meg smiles a little and says, "She's great!"

He smiles a little and adds, "She's more. She is the first girl I am truly interested in since I met Lilly."

Meg looks shocked and says, "Wow!"

The announcer says, "The next duo will be Meg Manning and,"

Meg looks at the stage in shock. Logan hears Madison and Dick laughing and immediately knows that they have set Meg up to be embarrassed. He feels the anger rise in him.

The announcer continues, "And our own hostess, Veronica Mars."

Laughter breaks out over the 09er table and Meg looks upset. Logan looks over at Veronica where she is standing at the hostess station talking to her manager. Veronica looks surprised and then her eyes narrow as she looks over at the 09er table. The manager laughs and waves at Veronica to go over and sing.

The crowd knows Veronica so starts to chant her name to encourage her to sing. Logan looks at Meg who seems upset. Dick points to Meg and yells, "Meg is here."

Obviously embarrassed, Meg gets up and walks slowly towards the stage.

Veronica after a short hesitation walks towards the stage as well. Veronica reaches it first and looks at the song that was selected. She shakes her head and leans in to talk to the MC obviously telling him what song she is going to sing.

Meg reaches the stage and is handed a microphone.

Veronica talks into the microphone, "Meg and I accept the challenge. By Hut challenge rules, we will pick the song we want to sing. Then Madison Sinclair and Dick Cassablancas can come up and sing the song they want to sing. The winning team, selected by audience applause, will pick a final song for the losing team to sing."

Logan is truly amused by the way Veronica has turned the attempt at humiliation into a challenge. The looks on Madison's and Dick's faces are priceless. Meg is known to have a great voice. Dick has a horrible singing voice.

He has never heard Veronica sing and finds he is really anticipating hearing Meg and Veronica sing together.

Meg sees the song Veronica picked and smiles.

Veronica leans into Meg and covers her microphone. She says, "Use that cheerleader training and unleash your peppy side." She adds making a hand sign, "They took on the bull Meg."

Meg finishes, "They are going to get the horns."

Veronica smiles and nods. Meg says into her microphone, "Madison and Dick; prepare to be humiliated."

Veronica says, "This song is for all single girls everywhere." The crowd starts to cheer and chant. Veronica's soccer team is yelling encouragement and clapping. The music starts and Logan recognizes a popular song about girls on the prowl.

He sits back and watches Meg and Veronica sing. Meg has a beautiful voice. Veronica's is not as pure but she has more personality in her singing. Neither tries to overpower the other and they sound good together. The soccer team is standing and clapping and dancing to the song. The customers are there for fun and it is really entertaining to watch two hot girls singing and dancing on stage to a fast, fun song. By the second verse, most everyone is into the song whistling, clapping or moving to the music.

When the musical interlude comes on, Veronica and Meg really get into the music and they both dance and twirl, tossing their hair and suggestively moving their hips to the beat.

Logan has pulled out his cell phone and is taking video of their dancing and singing. He whistles loudly and cheers.

Lilly looks at Logan. Of course he is entertained by Meg and Veronica dancing but she can see it is more. Logan might truly be interested in Veronica. She never anticipated that.

When the music ends, Veronica and Meg get a huge ovation. They both bow and wave to the crowd.

Logan smirks and Madison and Dick get up and go to the stage to sing. Logan is truly amused. It would take a miracle for anyone to beat Veronica and Meg's score.

Surprisingly Veronica defers to Meg when they win and Meg picks a country song for Madison and Dick's losing challenge song. They sound god awful together singing about tractors and partying down by the river. Logan looks around and sees the most of the 09ers are videoing their performance. It is one to remember!

Logan decides to leave shortly after Madison and Dick's humiliation. He waves goodbye to the 09er group at the table with a general wave. He doesn't make eye contact with Lilly.

He stops at the hostess desk to talk to Veronica on his way out. He tells her he took a video she might be interested in. At her questioning look he opens his phone, selects the video and turns it for her to see. It is a video of Madison yelling at Dick about his awful singing and how they lost because of him. It is humorous how he tried to placate her and she is having none of it.

Veronica is laughing as she watches it and she says, "Can you send me that?"

Logan immediately agrees knowing that he will get her cell number. He hands her his cell phone and she programs her number in and sends the video before she hands it back to him.

The 09ers watching see the couple laughing and then Veronica gives Logan her phone number. From across the room it looks like Logan is asking her out.

"Veronica, thanks for helping Meg this week; especially tonight," he says quietly. She looks at him and sees he is being sincere. "She needed to stand up to them," he nods towards the tables containing the 09ers, "And to DK."

Shaking her head a little, obviously puzzled, she asks, "What is his deal?"

Logan moves a little closer and answers, "I really don't know. I mean he knows howdrunken party games can end up. We have all said things we ended up getting teased for."

Veronica says, "Meg needs to avoid the games altogether. It's much safer."

Curious Logan asks, "Did you have a bad experience at an 09er party? Something I don't remember? Is that why you avoid 'Truth or Dare'?"

She shakes her head and tells him, "No, I just try and avoid obvious pitfalls."

"You missed out on the other fun games though," he teases, "like 'Seven Minutes of Heaven'."

Veronica teases back, "Maybe I had my own private game. That way I can kiss who I want and avoid the toads."

Logan laughs and waggles his finger at her, "No, no, no…." He shakes his head and puts his hands on his hips. He lectures, "Party games are an important right of passage for all teenagers. This may adversely affect your development." He puts his hand on her shoulder, "I am worried about how this lack of party game experience might affect your personal growth. I would be willing to partner you in "Seven Minutes of Heaven' to help you overcome this deficit."

She tries to hide a smile but he can see she is amused. Her smile peaks out a little.

"No?" he says as he puts a hand to his chest, "I'm just thinking of you."

She laughs and answers, "I'll keep it in mind."

He nods and gives a Boy Scout salute, "Always ready to serve."

He turns and leaves. She watches him go with a smile on her face.


	5. Chapter 5

Story so Far: AU fic. Fab Four is Lilly, Logan, Duncan and Meg. Lilly and Logan have broken up. Logan sees Veronica in her soccer uniform and is attracted to her. When he asks her out, she is offended he would think of her as an interim girl. She tells him she is not an appetizer, she is the main course. Logan is shocked and wants to get to know her better. Rumors he is interested in her begin to circulate. Meg gets Veronica to take her place at a Friday night poker game.

Logan sits comfortable in his chair at the poker table as he drinks his beer and talks with his friends. It is seven pm and everyone is there except whoever is replacing Meg. Earlier in the evening she had texted him and told him that 'something had come up' and she wouldn't be able to make it to the poker game. To Logan something coming up means a date with a hot girl but he seriously doubted Meg had a hot date. He wonders if she got in trouble with her parents. He knows how strict they are and how Meg tries so hard to please them. He briefly wonders who Meg sent as her replacement in the poker match and why Meg didn't tell him who she got to replace her. Logan hopes the guy can play poker and isn't too much of an idiot.

He tunes back into his friends and listens as Dick tells a story about two college girls who were hot for him. The guys are teasing Dick about not being able to close the deal and how upset Madison would be if she found out when the pool house door opens.

They all look over to see who the final player in their game is going to be. The 09er guys all look at the petit blond in surprise. John comments that at least Meg sent a hot girl replacement. Casey is especially happy as he likes Veronica and has been attracted to her for years. Dick is not pleased to see her but privately thinks he will take her money and teach her a lesson in the process. Duncan is happy not to have to deal with Meg but wonders if dealing with Veronica will be worse. The other guys immediately dismiss her as no challenge in the poker game. Logan smiles happy to see her even if she gets upset when she is the first one eliminated.

Derek says a little disbelieving, "You are Meg's replacement?"

Veronica in a perky voice shares, "Meg had a date."

Duncan surprisingly doesn't look thrilled by this news. Logan decides to chime in and says, "She said something important came up."

Veronica smirks at his disgruntled tone and says a little teasingly, "Didn't I just say she met a hot guy."

Logan smiles at her tone and teases her back, "You were free at this late notice?"

She tosses her hair back over her shoulder and flirts, "Well Meg said she would front me the money to play and that there would six hot guys here."

Dick, clueless, steps into her joke by pointing out, "There are seven of us.'

"Yes," she agrees as she turns away from the table putting her purse down on a side table.

Logan smirks at her sarcasm. He is impressed that her jab could be taken so many ways. Dick looks upset that she would say that to him. Duncan figures that Meg is upset with him and probably meant that he is not hot. The rest of the guys are left wondering if Meg thinks one of them is not hot. It's brilliant!

With her back turned to the table, she raises her arms to unzip her sweater. The guys, of course, watch her take off her sweater liking how her short skirt rises with her movements. The view from the back is nice.

When she turns to come to the table, the guys smile as her red t shirt says 'Us Blondes Ain't Dumb' in white letters.

Casey asks her what she wants to drink. As he gets up to walk her over to the bar, he asks her how soccer is going. Logan listens as Veronica tells Casey she made starting Varsity again this year. Veronica asks Casey how working with his grandmother is going. Logan had not realized that Casey and Veronica knew each other that well. She listens and smiles in sympathy as he tells her how hard she is working him. She teases, "Why aren't you out on a date instead of here with the guys then?"

Casey smiles and says, "These games are a tradition with us."

Veronica surprises them all by taking a beer and walking back to the table. Seeing that the only empty seat is beside Logan, she sits next to him and puts her phone and beer down beside her on the table.

For her benefit, Logan goes over the rules of their game. The guys tease her that she is playing with the boys now. John asks, "Do you even know how to play poker?"

"No," she says very sweetly, "But if all you big strong men play, it must be difficult."

Logan is really entertained by her manner. She is relaxed and it is obvious that she is not intimidated by them. He likes how she uses humor to fit in. Logan looks at her and notices how her already fairly short skirt has risen up showing an enticing amount of leg. Her lips are a bright red that matches her shirt, finger and toe nails that are just peeking out of her black high heeled shoes. He finds her attractive in the clothes she wears to school but dressed up, she is totally hot. He is brought out of his introspection when she takes a sip of beer and puts her bottle down. She reaches over and takes the cards from Logan stating firmly, "I'll deal first." The guys all watch as she effortlessly shuffles the cards, spread them out in a semi circle and then gathers them together in a nifty move. Looking around the table she can see their shock at her prowess; well all except Logan who looks impressed. She puts the finished pile in front of Logan for him to cut meeting his gaze. She gives him a small private smile and takes back the cards after he cuts them. She says, "Let's play," and begins to deal.

Logan is a skilled card player. He knows the guys well. Besides him, Casey and John are the two best players there. However very soon in the poker tournament Logan comes to see that Veronica is not going to have trouble dispatching the guys. She is a very skilled player carefully watching the other players to see any patterns and idiosyncrasies. She plays the odds and understands how to effectively bet. Logan knows that either Veronica or he will win tonight depending on the luck of the cards; he imagines they are quite evenly matched.

He leans into her as they wait for Derek to come back from getting the group another beer. "Does Meg really have a date tonight or were you trying to yank DK's chain?"

She turns slightly to face Logan and shares, "That is what she said."

Frowning slightly as he thinks he muses, "I think she is setting us up."

A little shocked, Veronica clarifies, "Us, as in you and me?"

Logan immediately shakes his head negatively, "No us as in all the guys."

Veronica smiles at his answer and says, "You know Meg and I were supposed to go out tonight and when I got there to pick her up she told me she had plans and she needed me to take her place at the poker game tonight."

Leaning in closer she says, "I wanted to be mad but she was so nervous about her date that I ended up helping her choose an outfit and doing her hair."

Logan laughs quietly, "That little manipulative bitch."

Veronica immediately sees that Logan is not upset; he is kind of impressed. Logan seeing her expression explains, "She never wants to join us on poker nights yet she seemed so keen this week." He adds, "She is a horrible poker player. I just thought she was trying to be in the same room as Duncan."

He thinks for a second and then asks, "Does Meg know you are a skilled poker player?"

Veronica meets his gaze and says, "Yes, she knows that I play with the deputies."

Logan smiles in pleasure at the thought of petit Veronica playing cards with her dad's police buddies. He has never seen her dressed up before and he has to admit, it is mind-blowing to see her dressed to go out.

"By the way, were you going to wear that shirt to a club?" he asks.

She smiles at him and shares, "Most guys want to buy me drinks when I wear this shirt."

Logan smirks and says, "I can imagine." He adds as he looks at her, "I, for one, am glad you are here."

"Why?" she goads, "Do you think because I'm a girl I am not going to be much competition?"

"Actually," he answers, "I did think that but now I'm enjoying watching you school the guys."

Watching him closely she asks, "Aren't you afraid I am going to beat you?"

Gently shaking his head he leans in closer and says, "I like a challenge."

She looks at him to see if there is a double meaning behind his statement. He meets her gaze and the moment between them deepens.

Derek inadvertently interrupts them when he hands Logan his beer. Veronica turns back to the game and breaks their gaze.

The guys sitting around the table notice the look between Logan and Veronica. None of them blame Logan for going after Veronica. Right now he is single and she is hot. Duncan, however, has not seen that look on Logan's face in years; not since his sister first started flirting with his best friend. Logan is not just attracted to Veronica; he is genuinely interested in her. Duncan doesn't know what to think about that.

When the group decides to break for something to eat, Logan is not surprised to find that he and Veronica are both ahead. Casey and John are breaking even and the rest of the guys are down. Veronica has been most ruthless with Duncan. She has seen he is an inferior player and she has had no qualms about taking advantage of his weaknesses.

Logan gets a drink and then heads back to his spot at the table. He thinks about Veronica's comfort and easy manner with the guys. She is very different from most girls. Although Logan is enjoying playing poker with Veronica, he can see his best friend is not enjoying the experience as much. Duncan sits beside him and asks him if he found out if Meg really had a date tonight or not.

Logan looks away from watching Casey and Veronica work their way though the buffet and answers, "Veronica says she and Meg were going out but then Meg cancelled telling her she had a date." He leans closer and tells his best friend, "I think she never planned on coming. I think she sent Veronica to school us all." He pauses and adds, "Especially you."

Duncan is not surprised Meg would not want to come. In the time they dated, she has never wanted to play poker. Logan correctly reads Duncan's thoughts and he explains, "Veronica plays poker with her father and the deputies."

Duncan looks pensive as he thinks about Logan's statement that Meg wanted to get him back and sent Veronica to do it. Duncan can see that Veronica has really taken every chance to beat him tonight. He says, "Meg is really mad at me."

Logan gives him a 'what did you expect' look and Duncan looks around and sees they are alone. He says quietly, "It's just Meg never hates; she is so sweet!"

Logan sees his friend is truly upset and says, "DK, you really hurt her and humiliated her publicly."

Duncan frustrated says, "I don't know how you and Lilly do it; having your relationship discussed at every turn." He looks down and after a short pause looks up and meets his best friend's gaze. He says, "I just think that maybe our relationship has gotten too stale. Maybe we are just staying together because it is easier."

"You should talk to Meg about this," Logan advises. He adds, "I think you should do what you think is best but how you treated Meg was shitty and you should apologize."

Duncan sighs and says, "I guess. I hate dealing with her and Lilly when they are upset."

"Meg is a great friend," Logan telss his best friend, "Even if you end up not dating, you shouldn't lose her as a friend."

Duncan frowns a little as he thinks about Logan's advice. He stands as he sees Veronica coming back to the table and he walks over to the buffet to fill a plate.

When Veronica sits she puts a small plate beside Logan and says, "Seafood free."

Logan looks at her in surprise and pulls the plate closer. He is fascinated that she so effortlessly remembered his allergy and brought him a small plate he could eat. There are not a lot of people like her. Keeping the mood between them light and happy, he teases, "Are you sure this isn't an easy way to knock me out of the game?"

"Nooooo" she drawls, "It is more fulfilling to beat you fair and square."

Logan smiles at her and rejoins, "I am secure enough in my manhood to be challenged in poker by a woman." He picks up a cracker and asks, "Did your dad teach you to play?"

"Maybe I am a natural liar," she answers as she pops a piece of cheese in her mouth.

Logan laughs and teases, "Without lies humanity would perish of despair and boredom… Anatole France."

Amused she retorts, "If you do not wish to be lied to, do not ask questions. If there were no questions, there would be no lies... B Traven."

Logan laughs out loud and asks, "Can I use that for my next phone message?"

The guys overhear and talk about Logan's tendency for using sayings as his phone message.

Veronica, listening to their stories about Logan's phone messages, thinks about how he never shows that side of him to the rest of the school; she wonders why.

In the second half of the evening, both Logan and Veronica are more ruthless and each of them successfully bid and win important hands. After a while it becomes apparent that Logan and Veronica are going to end up playing against each other for the spoils.

Logan, finding himself in a good position, bets enough to force Casey out of the game. That leaves him as the last guy standing against Veronica. Knowing that Logan will want to be alone with Veronica, most of his friends leave telling Logan to beat Veronica as she is enjoying beating them too much.

After some of the guys leave, Logan leans into Veronica and says, "You are."

She frowns a little at him and asks, "What?"

He clarifies, "Enjoying beating them too much."

Her smile is innocent as she comments, "I don't know what you mean.'

Logan dryly points out, "The 'Na, Na, Na cheer' when you eliminated Duncan was a little over the top."

"I promised Meg," she explains.

Logan nods in understanding and says, "My favorite was when you took Dick's picture when he lost and threatened to put it on your my space."

She grins and says, "I wasn't threatening. I am going to post it."

He leans back and watches as she gets up and heads to the bathroom. Duncan comes back into the pool house from outside. He sits next to Logan and watches as he picks up Veronica's phone and texts someone. He asks, "Who are you texting on Veronica's phone?"

"Meg," he answers absently as he texts, "How is yr date?"

Meg immediately texts back, "Weird being on a date again. Did u clean Duncan out?"

Logan smiles and puts Veronica's phone down. He was pretty sure that Meg was trying to get back at Duncan and using Veronica to do it. This just confirms his suspicion.

Duncan looks at Logan in question and Logan explains his use of Veronica's phone by saying, "Just seeing how Meg's date is going. She's more likely to talk to Veronica."

DK nods and when it becomes clear that Logan is not going to share what Meg answered, he impatiently asks, "Well, how is her date going?"

Veronica coming out of the bathroom area hears Duncan's question and listens as Logan says, "She texted Veronica she would tell her the details later but was busy right now."

Veronica sees that Duncan looks unhappy. She walks over and picks up her phone, accessing the text section and reading what Logan texted to Meg and her answer. She looks at Logan and questions a little incredulously, "You texted Meg on my phone?"

Logan easily explains, "She probably won't tell me how her date is going."

Veronica frowns at Logan and then at Duncan. She comments, "I can see Logan being interested, but Duncan you have no right to wonder what Meg is doing."

Duncan frustrated with Veronica's hostile manner stands up and says angrily, "It is none of your business."

Logan intervenes, "DK, Veronica is my guest." He looks over at Veronica and his voice gentles, "Veronica, please let it go."

Veronica turns and looks at Logan and says, "He hurt her."

Logan gets out of his chair and stands in front of Veronica. He says, "I know but it is between them."

Frowning up at him she says, "No, you are caught between them because you are both their friends. Meg is my friend. I am obligated to be mad on her behalf."

Amused at her girl logic, Logan smiles and says, "I am asking you to let it go for now. You are at my home and Duncan is always safe here." He takes her arms and adds meeting her gaze, "So is Meg."

She immediately nods, "I can respect that." She turns and looks at Duncan and apologizes, "I'm sorry Duncan. I shouldn't have spoken to you here." Both Logan and Duncan notice that she doesn't apologize for what she said, only where she said it.

She turns back to Logan and says, "I'll just go and get another drink." She waves towards the fridge and the table holding the food. "We can finish the game whenever you are ready." Both men watch as she walks back over to the fridge and opens it getting out a water. She starts texting on her phone.

Logan is really impressed at how Veronica handled the potentially uncomfortable situation. He looks at Duncan and sees he is not handling it as well. He is visibly upset at Veronica's obvious disapproval of his behavior. Of course he was humiliated by her cheering and singing when she beat him. The guys had found it entertaining though which probably made it much worse. Logan says quietly, "Do not call or talk to Meg tonight. She deserves to enjoy her night out."

Frowning Duncan says, "I won't." He leaves and the pool house door slams a little. Logan watches his friend leave and then turns back towards where Veronica is leaning against the buffet table. She has turned around at the slam of the door and is watching for his reaction to his best friend's anger.

Logan quietly says, "Alone at last."

She smiles a little at his tone. He really is a charming guy. Watching him with his friends, just hanging out and having fun, was really eye opening. He is actually quiet doing more listening than talking. She watched as he let some of the guys away with bad bids and a few times she suspected he folded with a better hand than they had just so they could be in the game longer. He didn't eliminate anyone until near the end of the night. He is very different in private than he is in public. She realized that the 09er guys were loyal to Logan for more than this famous parents and wealth. They were his friends.

She respected the way he defended Meg and Duncan. They were both his friends and she liked how he said they were both safe in his home.

She liked his sense of humor with her and his intelligent way of joking with her. He definitely had a quick mind. Tonight he was showing her a side of him she liked and admired. He is handsome, smart, quick witted and a good friend. There is a lot about Logan Echolls that she likes; who would have thought?

Logan sits down and looks at Veronica. He randomly shuffles the cards as thinks about what he wants to say. Finally he says, "I just texted on your phone to see if I was right about Meg sending you here to teach us men a lesson."

Veronica tilts her head and looks at Logan. "I am impressed at how you walk the fine line between Duncan and Meg remaining loyal to both of them." She adds, "It can't be easy."

Her face falls and she is pensive for a few seconds and then adds, "I don't understand how Duncan can hurt her like he did. They have dated a long time. He is supposed to love her. Even if he wants out of the relationship, there are better ways to do it."

Logan shrugs and says, "He's a Kane."

Veronica looks taken a back. She thinks about how Lilly breaks up with Logan publicly and for the first time thinks about how humiliated he must feel when it happens. She doesn't know what to say that won't make the situation worse so she says nothing.

There is an awkward silence and Logan hands Veronica the cards and says, "You can deal first."

She takes them and shuffles them. Logan privately agrees with Veronica's thoughts that there should be more respect between couples that have dated a long time. He thinks about how her dating Josh and Victor was gossip worthy but they managed to keep their relationship pretty private. There was no gossip about a public breakup; it must have happened in private. He actually wishes that Lilly were more private with their relationship. She likes being the center of attention and most people think he does as well, but he never has. Deep inside he doubts Lilly really loves him. He truly understands Veronica's thoughts on how Duncan shouldn't treat Meg even if he wants to end their relationship. He thinks the same thing. There should be more respect in long term relationships.

Sighing a little, he explains, "DK does not like to be the center of attention. He avoids conflict and is the peacemaker most of the time."

Veronica nods and then hands the pile of cards to Logan for him to cut. She says, "It's not possible to have a conflict free existence. He should learn to deal with it better."

Logan smiles a little and agrees, "Yes he should." He pauses and cuts the deck and then passes the cards back to Veronica. He adds, "I think a little less conflict would be a good thing though."

Veronica tilts her head a little at him as she thinks about his words. She says, "All men have an instinct for conflict: at least, all healthy men." She adds, "Hillary Belloc."

Laughing he says, "Deal."

Veronica deals.

After a few hands, Logan sees that Veronica is going to kick it up a notch now she is playing with him. She is even more skilled at poker than he assessed. He says, "Veronica, you have been playing us all. You are a real shark."

She smiles genuinely at him which causes him to smile back. There is something really special about her smile. He finds he wants to make her smile more and he wants to see her more.

Despite her skill, Logan is able to hold his own. The young couple have discussions about everything and nothing. Their conversation is filled with verbal shots, teasing and an easiness they both enjoy. It is huge step towards friendship and possibly something more.

Veronica's phone has been flashing on and off all night. Logan can see the screen flash with her texts but she has turned her audible notification off. After a particularly close hand, her phone rings with, "I'm too sexy," and she smiles and picks it up. She answers, "Josh?"

Logan watches as she listens and sees her genuine smile. Suddenly she sits up and says, "Really?"

Then she listens more and says, "Congratulations Josh. I am so happy for you." Finally she says, "I will find some way to watch the game tomorrow." She pauses and says, "I know you will do well."

Logan notes her excited smile and then how her face softens as she says quietly, "Your grandpa would have been there."

Logan remembers how Josh's grandfather had died before the playoffs his senior year and how both had missed a week of school to go to the funeral. Josh had been really bummed when he came back and had really relied on Veronica to be there for him.

Veronica finally tells Josh goodbye and wishes him luck tomorrow smiling as she adds, "Just be you."

When she hangs up, she has a genuine, loving smile on her face. She looks up at Logan and becomes more serious. Logan is transfixed by that smile. He realizes that he wants that smile directed at him. He wants someone to see him and love him like Veronica loves Josh.

She explains, "Josh is going to start tomorrow."

Impressed Logan says, "Wow that is great! Isn't it a conference game for them?"

"Yes," she says excited for Josh, "This really shows that the coaches believe in him."

Logan nods in agreement. He says, "I was impressed with how athletic he was when I watched him play. I hope he can make it to the pros."

Veronica can see Logan is sincere. She finds it really impressive that he is happy for someone else's success. A lot of people say the words but don't really mean them. She can see that Logan would be happy if Josh got his dream.

Veronica shares, "He really loves to play football." She goes on to explain that a lot of people don't realize how hard he works at it and how much he has sacrificed to get where he is. She deals but talks about how while most of his friends were partying and sleeping in late, Josh was traveling to play football or working out or practicing his skills with his coaches.

Logan talks about how Luke wants to be a major league pitcher and how he has to leave a lot of parties early, doesn't drink and how he has tournaments and practices all year round.

Immediately Veronica sees that Logan despite acting like he is selfish and self absorbed, actually is interested in his friends' lives and cares about them. She ponders how he is so different than he lets most everyone see.

Seeing her surprise Logan says a little stiffly, "I have known Luke since I moved to Neptune."

"I'm sorry," she immediately apologizes, "I guess I never realized how long you have been friends with most of these guys. You just seem to mostly hang with Lilly, Duncan and Meg."

Logan nods in agreement. He sees now that the outer façade he put up has given Veronica the impression he is totally self absorbed. He meets her gaze and says, "I don't make friends easily but all my friends are important to me."

She nods and passes the cards over to Logan for his turn to deal.


	6. Chapter 6

_Story So Far: AU. Fab 4 has Meg Manning instead of Veronica. Lilly and Logan break up. Logan sees Veronica in her soccer uniform and is immediately and strongly attracted to her. When he asks her out she tells him she is no one's interim girl; she's the main course. Logan is intrigued. Slowly Logan and Veronica get to know each other. Meg and Duncan break up and Meg gets Veronica to take her place at one of Logan's poker tournaments._

Duncan arrives home still upset about his evening. Firstly, Veronica Mars was a bitch to him tonight. Surprisingly. she is a very good poker player and openly took every chance to beat him. Then she did a freaking song and dance when she eliminated him. Logan, his best friend, had reined her in as best he could; but even he had been amused by her cheerleader imitation. The fact that Logan is attracted to her is even more amazing to Duncan right now; she is so confrontational! He can't imagine what it would be like to date her or why Victor was so attached to her. Duncan had been in student council with Victor and he had confided how hard he had chased Veronica over the summer to get her to date him after he broke up with Ashley. Victor had been truly happy with Veronica the whole year and had confided that he hoped she went to Harvard and they could be together again.

Duncan was also upset with Logan's request, that was more like an order, to do nothing to interfere with Meg's date tonight. Truthfully, this week, Logan has been Switzerland; he has been supportive of both Meg and him. Duncan walks from the garage into the house and wonders how in the world Logan knew that he was going to try and talk to Meg tonight? Even though he has not answered her calls or texts and he has been avoiding her, he is disconcerted that she has quit trying to contact him or talk to him since the night at The Hut. Tonight, upon learning of her date, he has called and texted her and she has not answered him. Now he is left with his thoughts about who Meg went on her date with, where they went and if she is interested in this guy.

If he is honest, Duncan is most upset that Meg may be moving on. He loves her, he really does. The problem is they have been dating so long and there is no excitement. The truth is, there has never been any excitement between them. It is just sweet and comfortable. He is beginning to wonder if there is more to a relationship than what he has with Meg. They started dating so young. Deep inside he is worried that he is going to become like his parents; stuck in a relationship with no passion and the love is not enough. Both Lilly and Logan want him to talk to Meg but what is he going to say to her? How can he tell her he loves her but he thinks there is no spark between them? He will hurt her even more. He is not like Lilly and Logan who are both not afraid to fight. He hates when Lilly and Logan fight and he hates when his parents fight. Fighting doesn't do anything but widen already open wounds and stop them from healing.

He heads up to his room and sees that surprisingly Lilly is home. He leans in her doorway and asks her why she is home early for her. Duncan immediately sees that she is upset. She has been eating ice cream and now she is reading a romance novel. She only does that when their parents upset her or she has boy trouble. He goes over and sits on the edge of her bed. He asks her what is wrong and she merely shrugs and says that she is tired and wanted to get to bed early.

Duncan knowing his sister well sees that she is disturbed by whatever happened between her and the guy she has been seeing. He also knows her well enough to know she isn't going to talk about it.

Sure enough, she changes the subject and asks him how Logan's poker game went. Duncan knows she is not really interested in the guys' poker matches; but he humors her by telling her that Veronica Mars replaced Meg because Meg had a date. He sees his sister is interested in this information. He tells her about how Veronica is a good poker player and how she had cheered when she knocked him out. Finally he tells her that when he left Veronica was playing one on one against Logan for the money.

Finally he talks about how Logan told him not to call Meg tonight and how he is upset that Meg is dating again but he is not sure he wants to get back with her.

Lilly listens to her brother's concerns about his relationship with Meg and she surprisingly advises him to think about what he really wants. She meets his gaze and says, "You don't want a relationship like Dad and Mom have." Duncan nods in agreement. She adds, "Donut, don't take too long to decide though."

Duncan nods in understanding and heads off to his room.

After Duncan leaves, Lilly thinks about Logan's interest in Veronica Mars and how right now she is alone with him in the pool house. Lilly doesn't want Logan yet; but she knows him and she can see he is genuinely interested in Veronica Mars. She has been on the other end of his interest enough times to know when Logan wants a girl. Although she pretends like she doesn't care, she has noticed that Logan is not waiting for his this breakup. He isn't making eye contact with her or asking Duncan and Meg to talk to her. He is not sitting with her at lunch and he is not making comments about her and the men she is dating while they are broken up.

Eventually she and Logan will get back together. It is all passion and sex with them. Logan is an emotional guy and he is great to be around when they are on the high of getting back together. He just gets tiresome when he becomes needy.

The thing about Logan is she can handle him; she can control their relationship. She can't control her new guy. Secretly dating a bad boy sounded thrilling and for a time, it was exciting. The problem is that she is learning there is more to him than she thought. This fling has somehow, inexplicitly, become so much more and that is unacceptable. This new guy can't mean anything to her; that can never happen.

No, is it best if she gets back with Logan. She can handle Logan and she can control their relationship. That is better.

In the meantime, Logan is free to have his interim girl or girls, but he cannot get serious about anyone. This attraction to Veronica Mars can't be allowed to develop. She is not a girl that guys date just for sex. Although Lilly doesn't get why, guys seem to fall for her. Cynically, she imagines it is because they feel big and strong beside her. Logan can't be thinking about dating Miss 'I'm so tiny I need a big strong guy to protect me' Mars. There are plenty of girls Logan can date that would be happy to just date him until he gets back with her. Logan needs to be free when she is ready to get back with him.

_Monday at lunch_

Veronica sits in the computer room with her friend Mac who she talked into helping her with her Journalism project. Although Veronica could get the pictures sorted and labeled, Mac is so much faster and does a better job with this type of work.

Veronica had spent Saturday with Erica at her uncle's house. They had watched Josh's first game as starting quarterback. He had done well and although his team lost, the announcers had raved about Josh's athletic ability and his poise under pressure. They had talked about how, barring an injury, Josh Britton has a bright future ahead of him; possibly in the NFL. Sunday, Veronica worked and then did homework.

Mac is working on the computer while listening to Veronica's story about the poker game. Mac comments, "I loved the video you posted of Dick's face when you knocked him from the game."

Veronica smiles happily saying, "It's a picture worth a thousand words… or replays."

Mac laughs as the video Veronica posted has had hundreds of hits already. The look on Dick's face when he realized Veronica beat him was really funny."

Mac talks about how her parents are excited about an upcoming camping trip. She grimaces as she thinks about spending a couple of weeks this summer camping. Veronica holds back a smile as she has had years of hearing how Mother Nature and Mac don't seem to mix.

While she watching Mac work, Veronica gets a text from one of her teammates who is sitting at their usual table in the Quad for lunch. Shortly after receiving the first text, Veronica receives a birrage of texts. Mac looks at Veronica in question as her phone buzzes almost continuously.

Veronica looks shocked and tells Mac that apparently Logan Echolls and Lilly Kane are having a very public fight about her. As soon as she receives a video link, she and Mac listen as Lilly taunts Logan about Veronica. Lilly talks about how Veronica only dates older guys and won't date high school men like Logan. She adds, "I bet she is laughing with her law enforcement boyfriend about your pathetic attempts to get her in bed."

Logan gets pissed and tells Lilly that difference between her and Veronica is that Veronica dates guys whereas Lilly doesn't make them date her, she just fucks them. The crowd is shocked at Logan's words. He finishes by telling Lilly it is none of her business who he dates.

Lilly loudly laughs and then dismissively Logan how Veronica has it right to avoid him and how she is going to follow in Veronica's footsteps and avoid him also. She tells him she is done with him for good.

Veronica watches in shock as Logan leaves the quad. The video pans back to Lilly smirking that she has humiliated Logan and then laughing with her friends.

Mac watching with Veronica says, "I can't believe she said that."

Veronica says, "I can't believe she talked like that about me."

Mac says, "She is the queen of the school and she is upset that Logan is interested in you."

"Well," Veronica absently tells her friend, "It looks like this whole mess is not just going to go away. I think it is time I did something about it."

The bell rings and the girls pack up their things. Veronica leaves the room before Mac can ask her what she plans to do.

_That evening_

The tall, dark haired, leader of the 09ers sits on the sand looking out over the water. Logan is really upset by what Lilly said in the quad. Now if he dates Veronica, the gossip will be that he is trying to prove to Lilly that he can get Veronica to date him instead of the fact he is interested in her.

He is shocked that Lilly even brought Veronica up. Lilly doesn't normally care who he is with when they are broken up. It is really a first for her to be vocal about someone Logan might be interested in. Logan is not even sure why Lilly would be such a bitch about Veronica. He thinks it is because she knows him well and she can see that he is actually really interested in Veronica. She has tried to make sure that he can never date her.

Logan is wondering if he should head home when he hears a vehicle pull up and park beside his Xterra. He looks back over his shoulder and is shocked to see Veronica's LeBaron parked there. She is seeking him out. He looks back at the waves and wonders why she is here.

She spies him sitting on the beach and reaches in her car and gets the small bag out. She walks down the beach and stands a little behind him. Before she can greet him, he says, "Wow Veronica Mars is voluntarily coming to talk to me." He dramatically puts his hand to his chest and says, "And me a high school boy."

She smiles a little at his performance and says placidly, "I told you it's not a rule."

She walks the last few feet and sits beside him in the sand. She looks out at the waves and breathes in the fresh night air.

Logan watches her. She looks as beautiful as ever. Her long hair is pulled back into a single braid. She is wearing very little make up even though she knew she was going to see him. He thinks he likes her fresh look better than if she wore more make up.

He comes back to her clearing her throat and lowering the pitch of her voice to something resembling a guy, "Dude, Lilly was a real bitch today. She must be PMSing."

Logan looks at her in shock and question. She uses her normal tone and says, "What? Isn't that what your friends say when you fight with Lilly?"

He can't help it, he smiles. He shakes his head at her and looks back at the ocean and says, "Nah... They take me surfing and then we drink ourselves in oblivion."

"OK then, since I don't know how to surf and I am not much of a drinker, I'll show you how girls handle when they are upset," she tells him.

He looks at her in question. She opens the bag she brought and tilts her head at him as if she was thinking. She says, "I am not sure if this is a chocolate chip mint moment or chunky monkey moment."

Amused at her tone but confused he asks, "What?"

She reaches in the bag and pulls out a pint of ice cream, "Ta Da. We girls eat ourselves into a sugar coma."

"Are we going to share that and talk about how my girl did me wrong?" He sarcastically questions. It is obvious he is amused but really not sure what she is doing there.

She scoffs and says, "You can't get into a sugar coma sharing a pint." She shakes her head and adds, "I brought my own. The question is should you eat the chocolate chip mint or chunky monkey?"

Deciding to give into her ritual for now he asks, "Is there a protocol to this ritual?"

She nods and says, "Duh! The chocolate chip mint is for when your man forgets your anniversary or wants to go out with his friends instead of spending time with you." She continues, "The chunky monkey is for 'you got dumped' or 'your man is flirting with another girl'."

Logan smirks a little but says, "I guess I better go for the chunky monkey then." She hands it over and then reaches in the bag getting him a spoon. He takes the pint and opens the lid. He takes the spoon from her, digs into the ice cream and takes a bite.

She watches in approval and then opens her own pint and starts to eat.

They sit quietly for a few minutes enjoying the view and the company. Finally he asks a little disbelieving, "This really works?"

Looking offended, she points at him with her spoon and says, "Don't underestimate the power of ice cream."

"OK," he questions, "What ice cream would a girl eat if she caught her boyfriend with another girl?"

Veronica answers, "Her favorite ice cream and sprinkles."

"If the girl was her sister?" he questions.

She smiles a little, "Whipped cream on top."

Logan laughs lightly and then continues to eat his ice cream. Curious he asks, "If your boyfriend got another girl pregnant?"

Without missing a beat she quips, "A cherry on top."

Logan laughs a little more and looks over at her. He says, "OK, what about if your boyfriend was cheating on you with another guy?"

She smirks and says, "Banana Split."

Logan laughs out loud and then shakes his head as he digs back into his ice cream. He says, "I am learning a lot about the female mind tonight. I don't mind sharing that I am a little afraid."

Veronica smiles and admits, "I've had a few gallon nights myself." She adds, "But ice cream and my friends always get me through."

She looks back at the ocean as she eats some more of her ice cream. Logan watches her as she watches the ocean. He continues to eat his ice cream. "Why are you here Veronica?" He looks at her, interested in her answer.

She returns his gaze and answers, "I got the video of your lunchtime argument sent to me."

He looks back at the ocean, his mood darkening at the reminder of his fight with Lilly. He deadpans, "Yeah, that was a keeper."

She just looks at him trying to judge his mood. He looks back at her and apologizes, "Sorry Lilly involved you in our mess." He sighs and adds, "It is my fault she dragged you in. The school could see I was interested in you. There was a lot of talk. Of course Lilly heard."

Curious herself, she asks, "Is that why you did it? So Lilly would be upset."

"No," he immediately denies. He pauses as he thinks and then continues, "The whole situation has gotten old."

She teases to lighten the mood, "So meaningless sex with hot girls has gotten routine for you."

He looks at her in shock and then has to smile at her tone. He says, "I am a guy in his sexual prime." He looks back at the ocean and says a little regretfully and bitterly, "But honestly, I am getting tired of the whole thing."

There is silence as they both eat some of the ice cream and watch the waves, thinking. Pensive, Logan adds, "Lilly made us dating impossible now."

Frowning in puzzlement Veronica asks, "What do you mean?"

Logan explains, "Her little performance today was to ensure that any relationship between us is impossible." He looks over and sees that she doesn't understand so he clarifies, "If I keep pursuing you, it will be seen as trying to say 'fuck you' to Lilly and prove I can get you."

Not really seeing his point she asks, "So wouldn't that make you more interested?"

"No," he immediately says shaking his head. "You are not a pawn in Lilly's and my game of war."

Veronica looks at him and thinks it is interesting how he described his relationship with Lilly. Their arguments seemed too harsh to Veronica; too cutting, too loud and too hurtful. However to hear him call it a war was kind of shocking. She notices that Logan looks a little unsettled; like he thinks he may have said too much but she listens as he adds, "You were always more."

Almost automatically, Veronica takes another bite of her ice cream and thinks about what he is telling her. Finally she says, "Logan, it is obvious that she thinks of you as hers but you are mistaken if you think Lilly is threatened by me."

Logan disagrees and Veronica is exasperated with his 'boy ness' as she calls it. She tells him that Lilly has watched him date other girls and she has not ever acted upset or threatened, even when his interim girls were rich or beautiful. Seeing he doesn't agree, she asks, "Why do you think she is so upset that you might be interested in me?"

Immediately Logan tells her it's because she is different from the other girls he dates. He tells her that she is hot, smart and respected in the school.

Veronica smirks at Logan and shakes her head. She says in a pitying, voice obviously sad about his lack of understanding, "It is because, in her mind, you are pursuing me."

Logan thinks about what she is saying and realizes that Veronica may be partially right. He usually picks the hottest girl at the next party after he and Lilly have broken up. He never chases someone. He has heard the rumors around the school that he is pursuing Veronica Mars. Many of the 09er guys think Logan just wants to have sex with her and that he will get bored with her quickly. They can see why Logan wants her as she is hot. The 09er girls are pissed he is not selecting someone from their ranks.

As well as Lilly knows Logan, he also knows her. He can see that she doesn't want him back right now but she doesn't like that he is truly interested in dating Veronica. Lilly wants him to wait for her. She is not concerned about his happiness; it is about her wants and needs. He has come to see that Lilly knows he is unhappy with their relationship but he doesn't matter enough for her to make any changes.

Logan comes back to Veronica's voice, "If you ignore me for a few days, things will go back to normal. Quit worrying." She goes back to eating her ice cream. Logan watches as she eats her ice cream. He is a little mesmerized by her tongue licking the spoon and the quiet little moans she makes when she gets a mouthful of the chocolate minty goodness.

He chokes out, "Actually Veronica, Lilly is right to be concerned that I am moving on."

Veronica leans into him and pushes him playfully away. He is shocked to see that she thinks he is joking. She has no idea how much he thinks about her; how much he enjoys talking to her and how much he wants to date her.

Impulsively he reaches a hand up and puts it behind her head. He pulls her face towards him and leans in. He gently kisses her and then pulls away, their lips only millimeters apart. Her lips are cool from the ocean breeze and the ice cream. He leans in and kisses her again; this time she parts her lips and leans into the kiss. Before long, conscious thought has gone on vacation. The kiss has taken on a life of its own and they are pulling each other as close as they can; their tongues dueling. The passion rises between them and the kiss becomes emotional and needy.

They break apart; breathless and more than a little shocked. Neither had anticipated the chemistry between them. Logan holds her in his arms and her arms are wound tightly around his neck. They stare at each other and both can see the surprise and passion in the other person's face.

Veronica pulls away a little and says, "Well," except her voice is high pitched. She stops and tries again, "That was… unexpected."

Logan nods, uncharacteristically at a loss for words, "It was."

She seems to think of something; pulling out of his arms and turning to look at the beach around her. "Shoot."

"What?" Alarmed he looks where she is gazing and relaxes when he sees that her pint of ice cream is upside down on the ground. He smiles at her pout.

She looks at Logan and says slowly and incredulously, "You made me drop my ice cream." Her blue eyes are wide and he can see she is truly shocked.

Not understanding her upset, he reassures her, "I'll buy you another."

Shaking her head she looks over at her ice cream and explains, "You don't understand. I dropped my ice cream."

Puzzled he looks at her as she turns and stares at him. Finally she says, "Well that changes things."

He is really confused and asks, "What do you mean?"

"I don't know what to do about you now," she informs him.

The last few minutes have taken on a kind of unreal aura for Logan. He kissed Veronica and really, really, really enjoyed it. Then Veronica became upset about her ice cream falling in the sand but she doesn't seem to be upset with him. It is like the ice cream falling has some secret meaning. She is looking at him and he can't really describe the expression on her face.

"I have to think about what this means," she says as she picks up her pint of ice cream and the spoon and puts them in the bag. She stands and starts to walk towards her car.

Shaken out of his confusion by her leaving, he says, "Veronica wait." When she continues to walk, he jumps up and chases her, easily catching her part way up the beach as she dumps her bag with her ice cream in the garbage can. He says, "I am confused. What do you have to think about?"

She shakes her head and walks towards her car. He follows her; taking her arm and turning her back to her car. He leans in and traps her between his body and the solid metal of her car. "Talk to me Veronica," he demands.

She briefly meets his eyes and then looks away. Undeterred, Logan lifts her chin forcing her to meet his eyes. He says, "Veronica there is something between us."

Finally she says, "Look you love Lilly. I am not interested in dating any guy who is emotionally unavailable."

Seeing she is finished trying to explain he ventures, "No one knows when they start to date how long it will last. There are no guarantees. It is kind of a crap shoot for everyone." He points out, "You dated Victor even though everyone said he was going back to Ashley."

She explains quietly, "It took a long time for me to trust that Victor really wanted to date me."

He waits but it is apparent that she is reluctant to talk about her relationship with Victor. He points out, "You had to take a chance with him; a leap of faith." She nods and he asks, "Why won't you take a chance on us?"

He is frustrated with her reluctance to talk to him but he waits for her to answer. Finally she says, "Logan you can date any girl you want until Lilly is ready to take you back."

He sees that his reputation as a guy who has his pick of the girls is going to hurt him with Veronica. He is not sure why she is so opposed to dating him. He is determined to find out though, "You have dated guys before that are known for playing the field. What is different now?"

She agrees, "I have." She looks up and meets his gaze explaining, "When I started dating Josh, he had been through a lot of girls. Everyone warned me that I was just going to be a notch on his belt, so to speak."

Logan listens to her interested. He really wants to know why she dated Josh Britton but is really reluctant to date him.

She shifts but does not attempt to leave the cocoon between his body and her car. Continuing she tries to explain. "I dated him because I felt attracted to him more than physically. He was hot and charming, but there was something there emotionally as well."

Gently he teases her, lightening the tense moment. "Some people would say that I am hot and charming."

She meets his gaze and smiles at his words and manner. She returns, "Some people would say that."

He pretends to be offended but continues with his point. "I don't know what the future holds. I know that I am attracted to more than your body. I like talking to you. I enjoy being with you."

Leaning in he puts his forehead to hers. He says, "There is something emotionally between us."

He sees her bite her lip a little. She seems upset and bursts out, "Why do you even want to be with me? I don't play games. I am not built that way."

Logan leans in and kisses her electing to show her that he is involved physically and emotionally with her. How can he explain to a girl like her that has grown up with love that he wants to date someone that doesn't play games; that is real?

His kisses are soft, gentle and full of feelings. He is patient slowly letting their lips part and then seeking out the connection again. She stiffens for the first few seconds and then she responds by sliding her arms up his chest and around his neck pulling her body closer to his.

Logan wraps his arms around her pulling her into his body.

Kim, shopping on the boardwalk, videos Logan chasing Veronica down and trapping her by her car. The video shows them talking and then Logan kissing her. It is a video that she will send to most of the 09ers.

Logan and Veronica are pulled out of their make out session by a car pulling in next to Veronica's car. Logan breaks the kiss and then moves out of the way of the car door opening. He pulls Veronica back to the sidewalk and turns her to face him. He says, "Veronica there is something between us. I want to see what it is."

She tells him, "I won't be your interim girl Logan."

He sees they are at an impasse. He says, "OK, how about this. Let's just start slow. Let's see where it goes."

He reaches up and gently caresses her cheek. "Let's start with a traditional date; movie and dinner," he suggests.

Worried she says, "I won't be on display Logan."

Frustrated that she is so prickly he reassures her, "Just us. It's nobody's business but ours." He tells himself that since he and Lilly are always on display, Veronica probably thinks he likes that. He adds, "Just give me a chance to show who I really am."

Veronica sighs and says, "I'm not sure."

He smiles at her and soothes, "Just dating. Let's find out if what is between us is real."

She smiles a little in return, "I think dinner and a movie would be nice."


	7. Chapter 7

_Story So Far: AU. Veronica is not friends with Lilly nor did she ever date Duncan. Lilly and Logan break up. Logan sees Veronica in her soccer uniform and is very attracted. She is truly offended when he asks her to be his interim girl and tells him she is nobody's appetizer; she is the main course. Lilly sees the budding attraction between Logan and Veronica and although she doesn't want Logan back right now, she tries to sabotage Logan's chances at dating Veronica. Veronica goes to talk to Logan and they kiss. Veronica affected by the kiss agrees to dinner and a movie. Kim sees the kiss, videos it and sends it to all the 09ers._

Logan looks with disbelief at the video sent to him by Dick. WTF? He is going to kill Kim for this. He thinks about what Veronica is going to think about the video and his anger against Kim rises. If her little stunt costs him his hard earned date with Veronica, she is going to regret her paparazzi tendencies.

Logan is not sure what to do. Undoubtedly it is way too late to stop the video from being circulated through the whole school. He paces across his room as he thinks about what he can do. Should he call Veronica and warn her? He definitely doesn't want this to be a surprise, but this is not a conversation he wants to have with Veronica. What if she thinks he had it filmed and posted? What if she is upset at being in the public eye at school? She was very reluctant to date him and mentioned a few times that she didn't want to be on display. This can't possibly help his case. Resigned, he pulls out his phone.

Veronica gets Logan's text and the video. Tentatively she opens the video as requested and watches it. Her mouth drops open in shock and upset. This cannot be happening!

Her initial thought when she sees the video is that Logan set it up but upon watching it and thinking about their night, she decides that he would have had the kiss on beach filmed instead. This video makes him look like he is going after her. Watching it again she has to admit that the kiss between them is full of emotions. He looks as into the kiss as she does.

Although she believes that Logan didn't set up the video, she is upset that her fears about dating Logan are already coming to pass even before their first date. She had put up with all the gossip dating Josh and Victor; all the speculation, all the rumors, all the sly comments. When Victor left for college, Veronica vowed that if she dated anyone steady again, things would be different. She had been doing well at avoiding all the gossip and speculation about her love life; then Logan Echolls had looked her way.

She sighs. Dating Logan is going to be a mistake; she feels that right down to her bones. The cautious little voice in her head is listing all the reasons she should not even date Logan but her traitorous heart reminds her how incredibly handsome he is all the time but especially when he smiles, how good he smelled, how perfectly she fit in his arms, how he makes her laugh and how wonderful his kisses are. She has never been so into a kiss that the world drifted away and she just wanted to be closer. That was for those girls who thought love was romantic and had their rooms decorated with unicorns and rainbows; that wasn't her. When Logan had pulled back from kissing her the first time she found that her arms were wrapped tightly around his neck and she honestly didn't remember even putting them around him.

Logan, when he doesn't receive a call or text back from Veronica, decides she is probably upset. He calls her after she has had time to adjust to the idea that tomorrow she is going to be the hot topic of conversation at Neptune High School.

She answers on the second ring, "Logan."

He sighs at her tone and says, "Kim was apparently at the boardwalk and felt the need to video something that was none of her business and send it out to her whole telephone list."

Veronica upset says, "So much for this being between us."

Defensive he says, "I didn't put out the video Veronica."

She is quiet and he takes a deep breath and continues, "What we talk about and do together will be between us. If neither of us talks, everyone can only speculate."

"Logan, a video of us kissing is out there now for anyone to watch," she points out.

He pauses and then says, "The thing is," he tells her, "the school saw you kissing and talking to Josh and Victor. The other students didn't know what you talked about or what you felt."

After what felt like a long pause to Logan, Veronica agrees, "That is true."

Logan goes on, "They will watch and speculate; we can't change that. The important thing is our thoughts and feelings won't be their business."

He hears her small sigh and then her voice sounds resigned, "I hated the public part of dating Josh and Victor."

When she doesn't say anything more, Logan says, "I have been in the news since before I was even born; my parents have seen to that." Veronica hears the touch of bitterness in his voice. He goes on, "I have learned to live with it. I can't change it and it is pointless to be upset about it." He adds, "I am sure that both Victor and Josh learned how to act in public. They learned who they can trust and who is just using them."

Veronica agrees and says, "I get that dating you will mean we will be watched and gossiped about but..."

He finishes, "You just want to have an ordinary high school relationship without all the drama and public scrutiny."

"Yes," she agrees surprised and relieved he understands.

She hears his sigh and he says, "I can't have that but it does sound nice."

There is a short silence as neither teen really knows what to say. Logan finally says, "Veronica I really want to date you. I like you." He adds, "Really there is nothing more ordinary that that."

After a short pause Veronica says, "I agree."

Logan asks, "What time should I pick you up tomorrow?"

_The Next Morning_

Logan arrives at Neptune High on a mission. He is going to deal with Kim ASAP but nothing can bring him down today; tonight he has his first date with Veronica Mars.

He walks leisurely down the hall and stops near Kim's locker. He leans against the locker next to hers and crosses his legs and arms; he waits. He sees that the students have noticed that he is waiting for someone and since most of them have seen the video that Kim took, they are guessing he is waiting for her.

Kim arrives with John and Madison. When she turns the corner to the hallway by her locker, she hesitates when she sees Logan waiting there. Although his posture looks relaxed, his gaze is panther like.

John sees Logan is waiting for Kim and his heart sinks. When he saw that Kim had filmed Logan and Veronica Mars and then sent it to her 09er friends, he knew Logan was going to be upset.

Looking up the hallway John also notices that there are more students than usual; most obviously, and some not so obviously, waiting to witness the confrontation between Logan and Kim first hand.

It is not long coming because at that moment Logan spots Kim, Madison and John walking towards him. "Kim," Logan's voice carries down the hallway to where Kim is slowly approaching. "Just the person I wanted to talk to." He slowly stands and walks towards the trio.

When he gets close, Madison coos, "Good Morning Logan."

Logan briefly looks at her and then says, "Isn't your locker in the south wing?"

The students smirk at Logan's complete dismissal of the popular 09er girl. Madison looks embarrassed. She huffs, "Fine," and stalks off angrily.

The students watching see that Logan doesn't appear to notice Madison's upset or her exit; his focus is on Kim. He walks up to Kim. He slowly pulls out his phone and says, "I see that you have become an amateur paparazzi."

John flinches as he can tell that Logan is even madder than he expected. Logan steps even closer and adds, "Although the clarity of the picture is good, your subject choice leaves a lot to be desired."

Kim swallows and steps a little closer to John. She says, "I didn't mean for it to go around the school."

Logan steps until he is only about six inches from Kim. She steps back. Logan says, "Taking the video in the first place is an invasion of my privacy and guaranteed to totally piss me off."

He keeps his voice even but deadly as he continues, "Sending the video to anyone else tells me you don't believe there will be any consequences." He steps closer and says, "Do you think your friendship with Lilly means you are immune to any punishment Kim?"

Kim pales at the angry tone of his voice. Seeing Logan is waiting for an answer, she stutters, "No I was just looking out for Lilly."

There is a pause as Logan stares at Kim making her even more uncomfortable. He says, "You should have been more worried about how I would react."

Kim immediately says, "I'm sorry Logan."

Logan puts his hand up and says, "Apologies from a lying, manipulative bitch mean less than nothing to me." He looks at her, his face and posture angry. He says clearly, "You mean nothing to me; you do not exist to me."

There is a shocked silence in the hall. Kim gets upset and begins to cry. She runs to the girls' bathroom.

Logan's face is impassive in the face of Kim's obvious upset. He looks at John and says, "She is so lucky you are my friend." Logan turns and walks off towards his locker. John is left standing wondering what punishment Logan would have come up with if he wanted to do worse.

_Lunchtime in the Computer Room_

Veronica sits with Mac and Erica eating the sandwich she brought for lunch. Mac says incredulously, "You dropped your ice cream?"

The tiny blond nods and then sighs a telling sigh.

Mac seeing the look on her friend's face says, "Wow!" There is silence while they each think about the conversation.

Erica summarizes, "Then you told Logan you had to think about the dropped ice cream and you left. He chased you and caught you at your car?"

Veronica nods and says wryly, "The rest is on video."

Mac finally asks, "What are you going to do?"

Veronica says, "I shouldn't date him."

Erica agrees. She says, "It would be social suicide to get in between Logan Echolls and Lilly Kane."

Veronica nods in agreement thinking as she chews a bite of her sandwich.

Mac thinking aloud says, "When you started dating Josh you were worried he was just using you and that worked out OK."

Veronica points out, "Josh wasn't dating Lilly Kane."

"True, but you also dated Victor who had just broken up with Ashley." Mac reminds her friend, "And you guys dated for a long time as well."

Her friends look at the contemplative look on Veronica's face. She finally says, "It is like Logan has the worrisome things in both Josh and Victor." She sees her friends don't understand so she explains, "He is in a long term relationship like Victor was and he is a player like Josh was."

Both girls understand what she means and wait for her to explain what she is thinking. "My instincts were telling me to avoid both Josh and Victor because of those issues." Meeting their gazes she adds, "Imagine what they are telling me about Logan."

Mac sees Veronica is really worried about dating Logan. She says sympathetically, "V, look how happy both those guys made you. You can't always listen to your head."

Erica adds, "Besides they both loved you and wanted to marry you some day."

"Maybe you will end up dating Logan Echolls for a year or two," Mac teases. She puts her hands to her cheeks dramatically and says, "Maybe you'll end up marrying Logan Echolls."

Chiming in complete with hand quotations, Erica teases, "Veronica Mars, Jackass Wrangler."

They all laugh. Veronica when she sobers from her mirth says, "I was all set to just ignore Logan until he got bored or got back with Lilly, but then the rumors just wouldn't go away so I decided to talk to him and get him to back off." She pauses and then finishes, "Then he kissed me and I dropped my ice cream."

Her two closest friends understand what she is saying. Ice cream is Veronica's go to food. She eats ice cream when she is happy or sad. When they were young they watched a romantic comedy together. The female lead said that if a man made her foot leave the ground when they kissed, she would know he was 'the one.' Veronica had snorted in derision while she shoveled another mouthful of ice cream in. When they talked about movie afterwards, Veronica had definitely said, "I will know a man is 'the one' when I would rather kiss him than eat ice cream." They had all laughed doubting that anyone could come between Veronica and her ice cream.

Now it appeared that Logan Echolls' kiss had been more enticing for Veronica than ice cream. Her two friends didn't know what to think about that.

Erica asks, "So are you going to date Logan or did you persuade him to leave you alone?"

To their surprise Veronica gives a small scream of frustration and runs her hand through her hair. She admits, "We are going out to dinner and movie tonight." She pauses and then shares, "My head is insisting that I tell Logan I don't want to date him and then when I open my mouth, I am agreeing to go out with him."

She sighs at their smiles and tells her two best friends, "My head knows this is mistake but god help me, I want to go."

Erica and Mac watch as Veronica heads off to the bathroom. Logan must have been very persuasive to make her take a chance on him when she so obviously thinks it is a mistake.

Mac turns to Erica and asks, "Why are all the players in this school attracted to Veronica?"

"I don't know," Erica shakes her head. She thinks for a few seconds and then adds, "Did you see the kiss between Veronica and Logan?"

Mac nods as she was sent the video. The kiss looked really hot. The way he held her face and then pulled her close…she would have melted at his feet if he kissed her like that. She thinks about how handsome Logan is with his dark brown eyes and muscular physique. She is a little envious as she would be in seventh heaven if any of the three guys that wanted Veronica, wanted to date her.

Erica comments, "I think most girls would agree to anything Logan asked."

Mac nods in agreement.

Erica adds, "He really looked like he was into the kiss as well."

"He did," Mac agrees. She adds, "I heard that he made Kim cry over posting the video."

Both girls think about how Logan made it clear that his relationship with Veronica is off limits. The rumors are that Logan is making an example of Kim for any one of Lilly's friends who tries to interfere.

"If he is using Veronica, this could be bad though," Mac muses. The two girls look to the doorway of the computer room where Veronica left.

Erica smiles and says, "If he is not playing her, this could get really interesting."

Mac smiles as well, "Very interesting.'

_That evening_

Dinner and a movie night goes really well for the couple. Logan picked her up and got the 'You better respect my daughter because I carry a gun and know how to use it lecture' from her stern, obviously disapproving, gun toting father.

Veronica had held her laughter until they were out the door but had broken down at the sight of Logan's shocked face. Finally she said fondly, "I think my dad enjoys scaring the crap out of the guys I date better a little too much."

Logan had outwardly remained calm but inwardly had taken a couple of deep breaths. Mr. Mars is one scary father! It was a novel experience to have a father disapprove of him. Parents of most of the girls he dated were thrilled that their daughter was dating one of the most eligible bachelors in Neptune. Mr. Mars was not thrilled Veronica was dating him.

Veronica correctly interpreting the look on his face had taken his hand and squeezed it explaining that her father puts all her dates through the ringer. Logan looked at Veronica in question as she giggled. She adds, "He almost made Victor cry."

That made Logan feel a lot better. If Mr. Mars disapproved of Victor, Mr. Valedictorian, future lawyer and president of the class; then it wasn't anything personal that he so obviously disapproved of him.

Logan teases, "I'm surprised that guys ask for a second date then."

She had tilted her head at him and had smiled a quiet, knowing smile. Stepping a little closer, she said, "Haven't you heard? Someday that man is going to be your father-in-law."

Logan is surprised that she is openly broaching the gossip about how all the guys she dates want to marry her. Her smile is very attractive and Logan finds he is drawn to her open and easy manner. Playing along he asks, "So are you a traditionalist favoring diamonds or perhaps you would like something unique like an emerald in your engagement ring?"

She smiles up at him as they walk and says, "Hmmm…. I think we can leave that conversation for a few dates."

She looks back as they reach his vehicle and says over her shoulder, "You have to earn a second date first."

He opens the car door and ensures she gets in without comment. He finds he is smiling as he walks around his car to the driver's side. She is something else!

Veronica is open with her approval that he chose Italian. She says, "I love Italian food," as they walk into the restaurant.

He is surprised and a little impressed that she eats the breadsticks, salad, her entree and dessert. She is not a calorie counter, for sure. He imagines that she doesn't need to be worried about calories as she plays soccer and runs track. Tonight she is wearing a pink skirt with a white t shirt that has a picture of a girl soccer player on it. She has her hands on her hips and the saying says, 'I've got goals.' The t shirt is tight and shows her tiny waist and flat abds perfectly. Her hair is left loose and hangs in curls down her back. She has on light pink lip gloss. She looks really cute!

On a first date the conversation can be stilted and uncomfortable. Logan finds that neither happens with Veronica. When they get their drinks she tells Logan they should play twenty questions.

She further stuns him by smirking at the look on his face which tells him she knows he is not comfortable with the idea. Still he is a master at avoiding giving out information he doesn't want to so he agrees to the game, inwardly deciding he can give her enough information to keep her happy.

He is amazed to find that she asks no questions about his family, being on a set, famous movie stars he has met or being rich. She does ask about the last book he read, pets, favorite subject in school, favorite sport, favorite band, favorite place he has traveled, languages he speaks, favorite food, and future plans. Once she really threw him by asking him to name something besides sex, kissing, surfing and drinking he is good at. Although he is shocked by the question, he thinks about it and finally tells her that he is a good writer. She smiled when he told her and then told him it was his turn to ask a question.

She seems interested in getting to know Logan. He hasn't met many girls or people for that matter that see him as separate from his famous parents.

He, in turn, is able to ask about her future plans, her childhood and her interests. He immediately sees that she is a lot more than most 09er girls. She is not interested in things. She is interested in life. She has a way about her that is very appealing. She is so accepting of him and whatever he thinks or feels. She makes him feel like he has a lot to offer. She is truly interested in his thoughts, feelings and what makes him Logan. He is really amazed at how quickly she gets into deeper discussions with him. She goes past the walls he has up and lets him past her walls immediately.

He uses one question to ask her about how open she is. She meets his gaze and says honestly, "You are right in your observation about that. I can have shallow and superficial conversations with most everyone but I want more from my friends and the guy I am dating."

She leans closer putting her arms on the table and gently takes his hand. When she meets his gaze she says, "Of course we aren't going to learn each other's deepest and darkest secrets, dreams or wishes right away; that takes trust and time." She lets go of him and leans back stating, "Find out quickly; that is my motto."

He likes how her touch is not flirty, it's genuine. He thinks about it and he also likes the idea that she doesn't want to waste time with acting like she thinks a guy wants her to act. She just wants to be herself and if that isn't good enough for her date, then it is good to find out early.

He says, "I like the idea that we don't waste time on lies and facades." He adds, "Although some people would be upset or feel pressured by your attitude."

"True," she nods in agreement. She adds, "If you found me too open and disconcerting, you won't want a second date and we won't waste time on each other."

She reaches for her purse and finishes, "It is better to find out quickly than get invested and find out you aren't compatible."

He has to agree. He is pleasantly surprised when she genuinely thanks him for dinner. She tells him it was so delicious. He is not used to girls who appreciate when he buys them dinner or takes them somewhere. Most 09er girls expect him to spend a lot of money on them.

Veronica bypasses going to a regular movie theater and chooses a movie at the old Roxie Theater. She tells him that there is a movie playing there that she has to see. It was in Italian and had subtitles. There was a part in the movie where the man and woman kissed for the first time and the woman's leg bent up. Logan noticed that Veronica smiled this cute little private smile. He wondered why she wanted to see this movie but was happy to sit by her. When the plot got boring, he entertained Veronica by making up his own translation. She had to admit his storyline was better than the actual plot. He surprised her with how quick witted and funny he really was. She hadn't laughed that hard in a long time.

As he helped her into his car after the movie, she leaned up and kissed him. Logan immediately joined in the kiss moving one hand to her lower back and the other to her mid back.

Veronica looked up at Logan and smiled after the kiss was over. She said in answer to his unspoken question, "I am a feminist, remember?"

He smiles as he thinks about watching her change the flat tire. She continues, "If I feel like kissing my date, I should be able to."

He smirks down at her and his voice deepens as he answers, "You definitely should."

In reward for his correct answer, she pulls his head back down for another kiss.

He got her home before midnight. When they arrived at her house, she had looked at Logan and smiled. She said, "Well the moment of truth has come."

He teased, "I am partial to June weddings. We can have a long honeymoon before school starts next year."

Veronica bats her eyes and teases back, "I hope you can afford my pa's dowry price." She ducks her head as if shy and says, "I am his only daughter."

Logan laughs, amused at her attitude, and happily leans over to kiss her. She is one hell of a woman. He never knows what to expect from her and he is truly entertained by her manner. He is smart enough to know that the attraction between them is rare.

As he drives home, Logan thinks about the conversation they had when he walked her to her door. She took his face in her hands and looked him in the eyes telling him that she understands that their relationship will be public as he is the King of the 09ers but what is between them must stay private. She tells him it is a deal breaker with her.

He had wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. He reassured her that he is delighted to keep things between them and everyone else can gossip all they want.

Pleased at his response, she said, "Now I must have a kiss goodnight to remember. This is our all important first date after all." She had lifted her face for his kiss.

He had been happy to oblige.

After only one real date with Veronica, Logan sees why she hooks guys. They initially bite the hook because she is a hot blond but she reels them in with her wit, intelligence and her fun personality. He really enjoyed talking to her; she was so real, so interesting. The time just flew by and he didn't think of any of his problems; he just enjoyed being with her. She has a way of listening to you that makes you feel you are the only guy in the world. He didn't know girls like her existed for him. The best news is she wants to go out again. Today rocked!


	8. Chapter 8

_Story so Far: AU. Lilly and Logan are on an off again time in their relationship. Duncan and Meg have broken up. Logan sees Veronica Mars, the Sheriff's daughter in her soccer uniform and he is attracted to her. She is not interested in being his interim girl and tells him she is the main course, not an appetizer. Logan is intrigued. As he gets to know her, he finds himself truly interested in her. They go on a first date and Logan wants to see her again._

The guys go surfing early Saturday morning. It is a beautiful day and although some of the guys are hung over, the mood is happy. Today Logan is taking a lot of teasing about Veronica and how she is going to make Logan her next victim. Logan firmly refuses to talk about Veronica finally definitively stating that what happened with Veronica would remain between them and they really need to shut up about her.

When they were alone for a few moments on the water, Duncan asked Logan about how his date with Veronica went. He could see that Logan really enjoyed himself on their date; his face lit up when he talked about her and what they did together. DK asks, "Are you going to see her again?"

Logan frowns a little and says, "Yes, but she's busy until Friday now." After a short pause he adds, "I've never dated a girl who has so many responsibilities before. Besides school, soccer, journalism and work, Veronica's mom is not around so she cooks, does the shopping, laundry and keeps care of the house."

Duncan sees Logan's point. He thinks for a few seconds and then suggests, "I guess if you want to see her, you will have to fit in her life."

"What do you mean?" Logan questions.

Thinking aloud Duncan says, "Well you could visit her at The Hut or pick her up supper one night so she doesn't have to cook or take her out for a quick dinner after soccer practice or go watch her soccer game."

Logan's face lights up as he thinks about what his friend is suggesting. He definitely sees the merit in his friend's ideas. He just has to be more creative in how he spends time with her. He smiles as he thinks about it. This is not going to be as hard as he thought. He looks at his friend and says, "Thanks DK."

Duncan nods and says, "No problem," although inside he feels a little disloyal at helping Logan see another girl besides his sister. The thing is, Logan is able to stay out of his and Meg's relationship so he thinks he should stay out of Logan's and Lilly's relationship and just support both of them.

_Saturday_

Armed with his new plan to spend time with Veronica, Logan decides that he will talk to or see Veronica everyday. He calls Veronica Saturday afternoon and talks to her for a few minutes. He kids her that usually girls' nights involve pillow fights in skimpy nightgowns.

She laughs at his teasing and says, "No, no pillow fights. We will be watching movies and gorging on pizza, popcorn and ice cream."

Logan points out, "You didn't say you wouldn't be wearing a skimpy nightgown."

Veronica laughingly changes the subject, "How was surfing today?"

Logan tells her he is a little sore from falling as he is trying to master a new turn.

Thinking about what he is telling her she says, "You know I don't really know very much about surfing except what I have seen on the news about shark attacks."

Logan assures her that they are rare and he has never even seen a shark while surfing.

Veronica points out that it is the sharks you don't see that might be the most dangerous.

He agrees with her point but tells her that he likes surfing so much he is willing to take the risk. Curious, Logan asks her about what she and her dad decided to do on Daddy-Daughter Day the next day. Veronica, obviously a little put out, tells Logan her father wants to have breakfast out and then go to the zoo.

Logan laughs at her description of how her father still sees her as the five year old who liked to ride the elephant and watch the monkeys. She doesn't realize that Logan never had a parent who could or would do ordinary things like going to the zoo with him.

He listens as she tells him that her father is talking about her joining his bowling team on Wednesday nights. He teases, "When you bowl, do you use a child sized ball still?"

When she is silent, he starts to laugh and chokes out, "You do, don't you?"

Veronica obviously not impressed says, "It is not polite to tease someone over something they genetically have no control over."

Sobering he says, "Veronica you are beautiful, smart and sexy. You have no complaints in the genetics department."

"So says the guy who is the product of the sexiest man of the year and the woman voted most beautiful soap star," she snarks.

Logan changes the subject a little by commenting, "I think it is nice your dad wants to spend time with you. I imagine that he will have a difficult time when you go to college."

Veronica notices his reluctance to talk about his parents but lets the subject drop for now. She sighs and says, "You're right."

Logan teases her by saying, "I do like to hear about my superior intelligence."

She immediately teases back, "I know you don't hear that often so you should savor it."

He laughs and tells her to feel free to send him the pictures of the pillow fight and he will talk to her sometime tomorrow.

Entertained by his tone and words, she says, "In your dreams," before she hangs up.

_Sunday_

That evening Veronica calls Logan and talks to him for a few minutes about her day with her father and asks him what he did.

He tells her that he went over to Dick's house and played video games with the guys.

She asks, "Did it involve wearing boxers and having a pillow fight?"

Logan deadpans, "Nice visual." Veronica laughs. Logan tells her about how Dick's father took him and Dick to the gun range and how Logan ended up with the best score at the end of the shoot.

She teases, "I'll have to warn my dad that you won't be intimidated by his shooting prowess then."

"Your father is a better shot than me. His score is on the top of the score board at the club." Logan tells her easily.

She sighs and tells Logan that she has a big paper due in chemistry that she still needs to put the finishing touches on so she will talk to him at school.

He asks if she wants to eat lunch with him tomorrow and she tells him she is working with Mac in the computer room all week. She suggests, "After I get home from soccer, I can meet you at the beach if you have time. I want to give Back Up a long walk." She sighs and tells him, "He needs to run off some of his energy."

Logan laughs and agrees to meet her after soccer. He tells her he will see her at school the next day and they say goodbye.

_Monday_

The next morning, Logan walks down the hallway where she has her locker and sees her there getting her books organized. He wanders over and leans on the locker next to hers.

She smiles, happy to see him and says, "Hey."

Logan smiles back as he greets her. He likes how her jeans hug her tight butt. Today she has her hair up in a messy pony tail and is wearing a green blouse. She looks fresh and beautiful. He teases, "Do you have some pictures of your trip to the zoo to share?"

Veronica mock frowns at him and says, "As a matter of fact, I do." She pulls her phone out of her bag and accesses the picture gallery. She finds the picture of her and her father in front of the monkey cage and shows him the picture of her feeding the giraffe. It is obvious that she doesn't want to be anywhere near the long purple tongue of the giraffe.

Logan laughs out loud looking at the pictures and says, "I would love a copy of this picture."

Immediately Veronica says, "No way."

Logan cajols, "I promise I won't put it in the yearbook."

Veronica defensively puts the phone back in her bag and shuts it. When Logan reaches for it, she moves it behind her back. Laughing Logan reaches around her and pulls her into his body. Quietly he tells her, "I love the grossed out look on your face." Reaching a hand up, he gently caresses her cheek. He leans in and gives her a gentle, easy kiss.

He sees Veronica look around and knows that a lot of students are probably watching them. He looks down at her and says, "I won't talk about us Veronica but I also won't hide our relationship either."

She looks up at him and meets his gaze. She quietly says, "I understand but I don't have to like them watching us."

"It is what it is Veronica." He reaches down and takes her hand and says, "I'll walk you to class." Logan focuses on Veronica and talks to her about where and what time they should meet that evening. He lightens the mood, "I hope you hold on to the leash better this time."

Veronica smiles at how she and Logan had to chase Back Up around the beach because he pulled the leash out of her hand. "I am not sure that dog is even trainable," she tells him.

Neither is aware of how comfortable they look together. Logan is looking down at her as they walk together. He looks amused and interested. Veronica is waving her free arm as she tells Logan about Back Up's latest escapades. She looks relaxed and happy.

That evening at the beach, Veronica shows up with a bag of cashews and they share then as they walk. As usual the conversation flows easily between them. Veronica asks Logan why he isn't in advanced English classes if he likes to write and he tells her that he doesn't care for school so hasn't really felt the urge to do harder or more work in an advanced class. Veronica agrees that the work is harder but points out that advanced classes are necessary for entrance to college.

"I really don't know what I want to do," Logan shares adding, "Right now I don't really think I want to go to college."

She looks at him and asks, "I get that you have money and probably never have to work but I'm curious about what you would do?"

Logan shrugs and says, "Travel, party and just enjoy life."

She frowns a little and asks, "Won't that get boring?"

He points out, "There is so much to see in the world."

She nods and agrees, "It is a big world."

Logan talks about how his family doesn't have ambitions for him. He tells her that DK's father really has high political plans for him and how he is working towards that. He talks about how John and Casey will eventually take over their family businesses so they are headed to college to take degrees in business. He talks about how he knows he is not going to follow his parents into acting but other than that, he hasn't really given it much thought.

Veronica questions, "Do you have any special interests in something related to the entertainment industry?"

Logan immediately shakes his head and a little forcefully says, "Nothing in that field."

She notes his reaction to her question and nods in acceptance. He is impressed that she doesn't give him any advice on what to do. A lot of the girls he dated feel he should follow in his parents' footsteps and take some acting classes or film direction.

They walk in silence for a while and then Veronica talks about how Mac knows she will work with computers but Erica is not sure what she wants to do. She admits that she is not sure what she wants to do. She knows she is interested in photography so may take journalism or perhaps business so she can start her own studio someday.

Cutely she leans into him and says, "I guess that is what college is for; to find out what you are really interested in."

Logan thinks about their discussion. He just wants to get away from his father; that is his focus. He never really thought about what he would do with his life. Logan picks up the ball Back Up dropped at their feet and absently throws it down the beach.

Veronica is really impressed at how comfortable she and Logan are together. He is a quiet guy who holds a lot of his thoughts in. She had not really guessed that about him and she likes it. He is just content to be with her. He doesn't seem to always be looking for excitement. He is really different than what she expected; a good different.

She looks over at him standing looking out over the ocean. The breeze is blowing his hair. Occasionally a lock of his hair falls over his forehead kissing his eyes before dancing back to his forehead again. His brown eyes are lighter with hazel flecks and the wind is pushing his shirt against his broad shoulders, defined chest and tight abdomen.

As she looks at him, she wonders why she is just standing there when she could be touching him. She steps closer and wraps her arms around him.

He looks down at her and wraps his arms around her pulling her close. He looks at her in question.

"I was thinking that although I enjoy talking to you, I kind of like kissing you as well," she tells him demurely.

He smirks as he lowers his head to kiss her and challenges, "Kind of?"

_Tuesday_

Logan decides he wants to have lunch with Veronica and if she can't come to him, he will go to her. He quietly tells Duncan that he is having lunch with Veronica, Mac and Erica in the computer room. Logan orders deli for the 09ers and they are surprised when he takes four sandwiches and drinks and walks into the school with them

The 09ers watch him leave with the sandwiches. His friends are shocked that he is not eating with them. When they ask where he is going, Duncan tells them he is having lunch with Veronica. Dick, sitting with Madison and Lilly, listens to their talk about how Veronica is no competition for Lilly and how Logan is biding his time with Veronica until Lilly wants him back. Dick doesn't like Veronica but he isn't as sure that Logan will go back to Lilly. Inexplicably, Logan seems to actually be interested in Veronica. Dick thinks he may have to talk to Logan about how upset the 09er girls are he is dating Veronica.

When Logan arrives in the computer room, Veronica rewards him with a nice smile. She easily introduces him to the other two girls and Logan greets them in his usual relaxed and confident manner. He gives them the sandwiches he bought them. Mac is pleasantly surprised that Logan got her a veggie sandwich.

He sees her surprise and charmingly tells her that Veronica gave him the 411 on what to order for them. He is impressed at the work that Mac is doing for Veronica on the computer. In turn, the three girls are impressed at the captions he suggests. Some are inappropriate for parents to see at graduation but many are very clever and they use them. Mac and Erica had never really talked to Logan so they were surprised at how intelligent and funny he was. He was also very handsome and very charming. They are beginning to see why Veronica would take a chance dating him.

On the way to her locker after lunch, Veronica tells Logan she picked up two extra shifts at The Hut tonight and tomorrow night. She confides that she wants to buy Mac a part for her computer as thanks for helping with her journalism project. Obviously pleased, she tells Logan that with Mac's help, she might get the bulk of the work done for her journalism project by the end of the week. Taking on this large project ensures that Veronica doesn't have to go to school events and cover them for the newspaper this semester. It is a win/win situation for her as she gets to work on the project during classroom hours and lunchtimes and frees up her evenings to do homework and work. Flirting she adds, "Plus I will have more time to see you in the evenings."

Content she wants to see him, he says, "I am all for that." He tells her that he is going surfing after school and has a mandated supper at home tonight.

She suggests, "Well tomorrow night if you drop over to The Hut after surfing, I will buy you a piece of the new chocolate, macadamia nut cake."

Logan leans down and kisses her temple as they walk and says, "I will definitely be there."

_Wednesday_

Opening the door of The Hut, Logan walks in and sees Veronica standing at the hostess stand. He smiles when she turns and sees him.

"You came," she exclaims as she walks over to greet him.

Logan leans down and gives her a quick kiss and answers, "Well I was promised cake."

She laughs and takes his hand pulling him towards a booth. He sits and looks around not noticing anyone he knows.

Veronica comes back with a the promised piece of cake and a chocolate milkshake. She sits down across from him and tells him that he is going to love the cake.

He takes a bite and savors the flavor. He moans a little telling her it is really good.

Her eyes widen a little at his moans. He looks up and sees the look on her face and his eyes darken. Their gazes lock and the moment deepens.

They are interrupted by John and Kim stopping by the table to say hello.

Logan breaks his gaze with Veronica and looks over at his friend. He says, "John." Kim looks like she was slapped and John looks upset at Logan's pointed way of letting them know he is still very displeased with Kim's behavior.

"Logan, Kim is my girlfriend," John adds, "You can't just ignore her."

The leader of the 09ers calmly takes a bite of his cake and chews it. When he swallows, he looks over at John and frowns. He calmly replies, "I always ignore the paparazzi John, you know that." Logan puts up his hand to stop whatever John was going to say. Firmly Logan continues, "She took video of me and sent it to her friends." He shakes his head and adds, "She can't be trusted. She can't be around me anymore. It was her choice and now she has to live with it."

He gestures at John and says, "You are my friend and you are welcome to sit and have coffee with us."

John says, "I am going to take Kim home."

Logan says, "Who?"

Kim's cheeks redden and she abruptly turns and leaves with her head held high. John sighs and follows her out.

Logan turns back to Veronica and takes her hand. He says, "Why do there have to be so many people in the world?"

Veronica shakes her head and comments, "Harsh."

Gently turning over her hand and rubbing the palm, he explains, "I have to be careful who I go out with. I am, unfortunately, a paparazzi target. I have to be able to trust whoever I hang out with not to sell me out."

He lifts her palm and kisses it and says, "Thank you for the cake. It is really good."

She smiles at him and says, "You're welcome."

_Thursday_

Although his friends tease him, Logan goes and watches Veronica play soccer. As they walk up the stands, the 09ers are interested to note that Mr. Mars knows who Logan is and greets him as they pass by.

Logan is very respectful going over and shaking his hand before going on up to sit with the rest of the 09er guys.

Watching her, Logan is surprised by how rough she plays the game. She is so tiny yet she hangs in with much heavier and larger girls fighting for the ball, getting knocked down and then getting right back into it.

The 09er guys admire how tough she is and tease Logan that she seems to like it rough. He ignores them as he watches her tenaciously chase the player with the ball. In the second half she scores a beautiful goal off a corner kick that impresses Logan. She is a lot more athletic than he thought.

After the game Logan goes with the girls' team out for supper. Some of the 09er guys go as well. Since Neptune won, it is a lively event. Logan walks in with Veronica and they look up at the menu deciding what they want. Luke and Casey tease Veronica that she should get ice for her butt since she was knocked on it so many times. She mock frowns at them and orders a burger and fries.

When they get to the table, Veronica introduces Logan and the guys to her team mates. Logan looks at the grass stains and dirt on her shorts, legs and socks. Her hair is tied back in a tight ponytail with multiple elastics. She has almost no make up on and her face is still a little red from all the running. He likes how natural she is and he is amazed at how much he wants to kiss her and touch her.

As they eat, the talk is lively with Veronica getting teased about getting a warning for rough play. Veronica claims that her hit was perfectly legal. Tiffany, who scored a hat trick, is pronounced player of the game by her teammates and gets to pick the hair style for the next game.

Logan notices that Veronica seems truly pleased for Tiffany and doesn't talk about her own goal or assist. Veronica happily steals Logan's fries and he smirks at her as he gives her the milkshake he ordered for her when it arrives.

She is happy that he remembered her love of ice cream. She exclaims, "Oreo is perfect for a celebration."

He laughs and teases, "Is there any bad flavor of ice cream?"

She nods and says, "Mango and peach. What is up with them?"

He shakes his head and says, "Might be OK if they added chocolate chips or something."

He laughs as she seriously contemplates his idea and states, "I don't know if even chocolate can help them."

When Veronica hands her milkshake to Logan to try, the girls all tease her that she must really like Logan. Jaime comments that Veronica protects her ice cream like a mother bear protects her cubs.

Veronica frowns a little indignant at their teasing and comments, "What, I don't mind sharing."

Lucy tells the guys how they are afraid of her breaking their arm if try and take her food, much less her ice cream. The girls all agree. Jody leans into Peter and whispers that Veronica wouldn't even share with Victor. The 09er guys laugh but Logan just smiles and takes a sip of the shake pronouncing it good before he hands it back to her.

On the way home, Veronica tells him that she has planned their date for Friday night. She tells him to wear something casual and she will pick him up at 6pm.

She pretends to be worried and asks him if she is going to be grilled by his mother while she waits for him to get ready. Logan smiles at her and easily answers that his parents are in LA this week. She dramatically wipes her brow causing Logan to smile at her antics.

He quizzes, "Should I be worried about what you might plan for us?"

She leans in, "I have to earn a second date so I will try and make it special."

Logan smiles. She is always entertaining.

_Friday_

When she arrives at his mansion, Logan walks out the front door and sees her leaning against the passenger door of her car. She smiles when she sees him and says, "You look very handsome." He is wearing khaki shorts and a blue t shirt.

He smiles at the role reversal and replies, "Thanks. You look beautiful as usual." He looks at her short pink shorts and black tank top with approval.

She thanks him and opens the passenger door stating, "Are you ready?"

"I just have to warn you, I don't put out on the first date," he bats his eyes at her.

Laughing at his over the top imitation of a girl, she leans on the door after she shuts it and says in a deep voice, "I have nothing but respect for you. You can trust me."

Logan has to smile. She is so adorable.

She gets in and starts the car. As she pulls out of the estate, she tells Logan that they are going to the outdoor concert series at the Lake View Park. He listens impressed as she tells him it is local talent night and there will be singers, dancers, and comedians. He has never actually been but he is game for it.

After they park and get out of the car, Veronica hands Logan the picnic basket and she carries her bag and the blanket. They are early so they get their pick of places to put their blanket down. They decide on a flat area in front of a tree that they can lean against while they watch and listen to the entertainment.

He sees that Veronica is organized. She has insect repellent, a flash light for walking back out after dark, her camera and a sweater.

They put the blanket down and Logan sits down on it. Veronica sits beside him and opens the picnic basket. She pulls out some Tupperware containers with various food items. Logan sees fried chicken, grapes, potato salad, sliced watermelon and strawberries. He sees that she has home made cookies in the basket.

He takes the plate she hands him and fills it with a little of everything. He is surprised to find she cooked for him. He has never had a girlfriend cook for him before. Although he will never tell her, he is impressed that she is such a good cook. She reaches in the basket and pulls out a bottle of water for him.

They talk about school, classes, fellow students, Back Up, TV shows, movies, politics and so much more. Although this is only their second real date, he feels like he has known her a lot longer.

At 7:30pm the show starts. Veronica tells Logan that the real reason she wanted to come here tonight was she gets to sit in his arms. He smiles and leans back against the tree. She hands him a small pillow to put behind his back against the tree and he opens his arms for her to sit in front of him. Happily she sits between his legs and leans back into him.

Logan pulls Veronica's back tight to his chest and they rest comfortably together watching the entertainment. They are both particularly entertained by a comedian who talks about his problems dating. Veronica likes a family that plays music. The father plays the guitar, mom the keyboard, one son the drums, one son the electric guitar and the youngest girl plays a tambourine. They have a country sound but both teenagers enjoy how the family obviously enjoys playing and singing together. They get a large round of applause.

Experienced he can feel the connection between them. He wants her and he can tell she is attracted to him. What is surprising is how much he likes to just hold her. She fits him like she was made for him, her head just under his chin. His arms can wrap all the way around her tiny frame.

At times she rubs his arm as it rests across her abdomen or reaches up with one arm and pulls his head down to talk to him or kiss him. Logan rubs her abdomen and feels her quiver in response to his touch. Her breath hitches when he nuzzles her neck or ear.

They both enjoy exploring the connection between them while they watch all the other spectators and the acts on the stage.

During the intermission she opens the container of cookies. Logan reaches for one and Veronica pulls the container away. She says, "There is a disclaimer to eating my snicker doodles. It is a family recipe passed down from mother to daughter. No man can resist them and once you eat one, you will become my slave. You can only eat them at your own risk."

Logan smirks and says, "I will take my chances." He reaches in, picks ups a cookie and takes a bite. He notices that she is watching. They are absolutely delicious. He looks at her in surprise.

"I warned you," she tells him shaking her head. "You now belong to me."

He laughs and puts his hand to his chest observing, "There are worse fates."

She laughs back and hands him the container. He takes it and watches while she gets out the grapes, opens the container and hands it to him. She lays her head in his lap and says, "Slave, you will now feed me grapes."

Entertained by her, he reaches into the container, gets a grape and puts it in her mouth. She eats it and watches as finishes eating his cookie. He puts the container with the grapes on her chest and takes another cookie.

She asks about the book he is reading and lays there relaxed, eating grapes, listening to him talk about the plot of the book. Logan has talked more this date than any other date he has been on. He is tranquil, well fed and has to admit he is having a lot of fun. This is the best date he has had in a long time.

When intermission is over, the couple moves back into their position against the tree and watches the rest of the show. After the show ends, there are fireworks. It is a beautiful night and he has not thought about his father, mother or Lilly once.

They are relaxed and walk back holding hands talking easily with Logan holding the flashlight. When Veronica drops Logan off at his mansion she leans against him as he leans against her car. Wrapping her arms around his neck she asks, "Did I earn a second date?"

He smiles at her and says, "You definitely did."

He gently caresses her cheek and then runs his hand to the back of her head. The emotions rush to his chest as he looks down at her beautiful face tilted up towards his. He leans down and kisses her.


	9. Chapter 9

_Story so Far: AU. Logan/Lilly, Duncan/Meg are the Fab 4. Veronica is the daughter of Sheriff Mars. Logan and Lilly are on an off period and Logan sees Veronica in her soccer uniform. He is really attracted to her but she doesn't want to be an interim girl and tells him she is not an appetizer, she is the main course. As he gets to know her, he is more attracted to her. Veronica goes to tell Logan they can't date; he kisses her and she drops her ice cream. They decide to date but keep their relationship private. They have two really good dates. Both are becoming more attracted to each other._

Saturday morning Logan skips surfing with the guys. When Lilly and the 09er girls arrive, they are very surprised that Logan is not there as Logan and Dick are especially dedicated to surfing; going early in the morning even when hung over and short on sleep. Madison asks Dick, when he comes out of the water for a break from the waves, where Logan is.

"He had something to do with Veronica," Dick tells them derisively. He adds after taking a big drink of his water, "He's already whipped and they just started dating."

When Logan wasn't at the beach, Lilly thought he was probably in LA at some function for his parents. It hadn't occurred to her that Logan would skip surfing to see Veronica. She ponders that idea as she turns over to tan her back.

Logan is spending his precious surfing time on Saturday morning volunteering with Veronica. They arrive at the fire station where the donations for the people who lost their homes in the wildfires have been stored. A few of the firefighters, paramedics and sheriff deputies were traveling to the area to help out for a few weeks. They were taking two motor homes for the volunteers to stay in and three trucks full of supplies to donate. The fire chief, or 'Chief' as everyone called him, was in charge of organizing the supplies that were donated and Leo was in charge of getting the motor homes stocked and ready. Veronica spent part of the morning helping to clean the two motor homes. Logan was used as muscle to carry boxes of supplies from the fire hall to the trucks.

Leo was busy directing the people who were getting the motor homes ready. It was obvious by the way he looked at and talked to Veronica that he was interested in her. If Logan was honest, he would admit that he agreed to volunteer today because Veronica mentioned that Leo talked her into helping.

As the morning progressed Logan learned a few things about Veronica. The first thing he discovered is that Veronica is not a girl who plays relationship games. Logan was prepared for Veronica to flirt with Leo or at least attempt to play Leo off against him; both common female games designed to make the male species go crazy. Lilly, who was a professional at driving Logan to distraction, would have used the opportunity to flirt with other guys and she would have definitely made sure the guys there knew she wasn't dating Logan exclusively. Veronica wasn't there to further her dating options or make Logan jealous; she was there to help out.

Secondly, he learned that the people who worked at the Fire Station and the Sheriff Department were like family to Veronica. One of the older firemen, who loaded boxes with Logan, told him that Sheriff Mars brought Veronica around when they first moved here and she immediately won over the whole fire station with her big blue eyes, long blond hair and sweet face. He talks about how the Chief and the Sheriff are close friends and how Veronica attends a lot of the Fire Department functions with her father. He also confided that she checks on them after they are called out to a difficult fire or one of the firefighters is injured. He confides how she brings over these special cookies that she makes and sometimes she brings them cakes from that place she works at. His voice becomes teasing when they walk back to the area where the supplies are piled. He raises his voice and tells Logan that the Chief never had any daughters so Veronica owns him. When the Chief frowns at the teasing, Logan smiles and agrees, "He never had a chance." The firefighters in the room laugh at the Chief's upset. The firefighter walking with Logan patted him on the back adding, "Well neither did you." That shut Logan up and caused the men to laugh uproariously, this time at Logan's expense.

The Chief, of course, was especially suspicious of Logan's intentions towards Veronica. When Veronica introduced Logan to the group as a boy from her school, she teasingly waggled her finger at the men and warned, "No scaring him off, I like him." Logan inwardly groaned seeing all speculative looks directed at him from all the overprotective men there, especially Leo. Later walking through the firehouse, she wrapped her arms around the Chief and gave him a big hug. She looked up at him and informed him that her father had already done the appropriate threatening.

The Chief looked carefully at Logan and commented, "He doesn't look afraid."

Logan overhearing, laughed and continued towards the truck with the boxes he was carrying. He looked back over his shoulder and assured the fire chief, "Oh, I am." Veronica smiled at Logan while the Chief laughed and let go of Veronica shooing her over towards the motor homes.

Another thing Logan learned is that Veronica is genuinely talented in photography. There were some really impressive pictures up in the hallway between the offices and the lunchroom. When Logan stopped to look at them, he was told that Veronica took them. One of Logan's favorite was an action shot of firefighters leaping out of their truck preparing to run into a burning building. The angle of the shot showed the magnitude of the situation as a building had black smoke pouring out with a dangerous flicker of red and orange seen through the doorway. The bystanders watching were an eclectic group of men, women and children from different ethnic groups and walks of life; some dressed for work and others were there for pleasure but all of them were now joined together in the moment watching the scene play out. The firemen were all focused on their jobs; their determination and purpose clear. So much was happening in the picture that Logan had to look at it for a few seconds to even take in the whole picture. He is not an expert, but even he can see the talent Veronica demonstrates in the photograph. The rest of the pictures were shots of the firefighters along with their friends and families as they volunteered at the fire hall or were enjoying public or private functions. Each picture had its own story and that precious moment was captured by Veronica's camera.

Logan also learned that he liked the feeling of belonging he got when he was with the firefighters. He is genuinely thanked for helping and he feels good that he was able to work as part of the team; able to contribute even in some small way. He is impressed at how hard the firefighters, paramedics and police deputies work to help out the community on their days off. He makes a mental note to compliment his mother the next time he talks to her on all her charity work. She is using her name to help others and he never really appreciated that about her. Logan learns that although he wishes he had been surfing that morning, the surf will still be there another day. It felt good to actually help out.

After a quick lunch together, Veronica works at The Hut and Logan goes home for a while. Later he picks Veronica up for the 09er beach party. Mr. Mars is home when Logan arrives and Logan actually enjoys visiting with him for the few minutes before Veronica is ready. Apart from being a huge baseball fan, he is a pretty good guy.

When they are driving over to the beach, Veronica reminds him that she has a strict no stupid 09er game policy. Logan smirks and says, "We will see."

Logan arrives at the beach, a little late, pulling swiftly into the parking lot and almost landing his Xterra into the first available stall. The 09ers smirk at Logan's usual way of parking, but their smirks disappear when the petite blond jumps out of the passenger side of the vehicle dramatically holding her chest and then falls to the ground hugging it.

They see Logan get out and go over to the passenger side of his vehicle. He leans back into the side of his yellow monstrosity watching Veronica hug the ground. The group can see he is laughing. After a few moments, he pushes himself off his vehicle and reaches a hand down to help Veronica stand. To their surprise he pulls the petite girl up and into his arms.

Off balance, Veronica stumbles into his body and Logan smirks as he wraps his arms around her securing her softer frame to his firm and more muscular body. He slowly and purposefully runs his hand up over the smooth skin on her back and lets it settle into her hair.

There is a moment when he tilts her head back and meets her gaze. Slowly, ever so slowly, he lowers his head to kiss her; elongating the moment, giving her time to resist or move her head. He is not worried that she is going to move away; he is letting the emotions rise between them. There is some major chemistry between them and he definitely wants to enjoy it and explore it.

His lips gently touch hers and after a brief moment, he pulls fractionally away. They share the same air and pause for a few seconds with their faces and bodies close.

He has his hand in her hair tipping her head up but he doesn't have to hold her head firmly. She is leaning up into the kiss with her lips parted, wanting his touch.

Logan slowly leans back down to place his lips over hers. He is in no hurry but he is anxious to kiss her; to have a connection with her. He is alternately puzzled and excited about his feelings towards Veronica. He is a teenaged boy who thinks about sex and hot girls. There is no doubt he wants the physical connection; he knows that she has had long term relationships with two guys at school who were both rumored to know their way around a girl's body. Yes, he definitely thinks about having sex with her, but he also has other feelings for her. He wants to kiss her; he wants to touch her and he wants to talk to her. This wanting any other girl but Lilly is an unusual feeling for him. Logan tonight is not there to over think things; he is there to relax and have fun. Kissing and holding Veronica is a very good start to his night so he just enjoys it fully.

When their kiss is over, he gently and slowly kisses over her cheek to her ear. He whispers, "I missed you this afternoon." He looks down at her and is pleased to see that she is very contented to be in his arms.

"I missed you too," she murmurs, "I especially missed the kisses."

Leaning back a little, he teases, "You sound surprised."

Thinking about how to word what she wants to say, she pauses for a few seconds. Finally she shares, "I guess that I never looked at you as a guy to kiss." Seeing his indignation she immediately reassures him, "I don't mean you aren't hot and that girls don't talk about you."

He laughs and says a little dramatically, "Well thank god for that." He knows what she is saying. She is not the type of girl that imagines kissing a guy who has a girlfriend. He knows that she never thought of him as dating material.

He reaches up and gently caresses her cheek. He says, "I get it. You are worried that once you have dated me, all other men will seem…. inadequate."

Her smile widens and her eyes twinkle with humor at his over the top comments. She has come to learn that although he is handsome and rich, he understands that most people don't even see the person beyond that.

She reaches up and pushes the hair off his forehead. Her touch is gentle and loving. She agrees, "That is it. I am worried that you will spoil me for all men."

He laughs at her teasing and stands enjoying her touch. He can see she is genuine in her affection. She finds him amusing and he thinks she actually likes him. Despite his outwardly popular persona and success with the female population, Logan has not had a lot of real affection in his life.

He has had a lot of sex, but can count on one hand the women who have ever really liked or loved him. Mrs. Navarro cares about him and tries to protect and take care of him when she can. His grandmother loved him but she passed away when he was younger. His mother, when she is able, really loves him, but in the last few years she has increasingly retreated into her own space and she has not been there physically or emotionally for anyone. Lilly, in her own way, loves him but although she likes to have sex, she does not like to give or receive affection. He would never tell her this but he thinks she must be like Celeste that way. The girls he dates readily have sex with him but he doesn't feel affection for them and they definitely do not feel anything for him.

Now he is dating Veronica and he can see that she is in to him. Logan is experienced with girls and he knows when someone is attracted to him. He knows how to make their physical relationship good for them both. When he kisses her or touches her, she reacts openly and honestly. He sees that Veronica isn't a girl who just has sex and normally he avoids girls like her. She needs to have an attachment to the guy to have sex with him and he has not wanted to be attached to any of the girls he has dated. He hasn't really even liked any of the interim girls he dated; he just wanted a steady sex partner.

In Veronica's case though, he hasn't minded waiting to have sex with her. He knows it is going to happen soon. He can feel her attraction to him and he is definitely wants her. He likes the fact that they have an emotional connection. Of course he would never tell anyone how much he is enjoying his relationship with Veronica.

It is new territory for him but he really does value his time with her. He likes how close he is growing to her. She treats him like Logan; a handsome, smart, fun teenaged boy she is dating. She likes to have contact with him when they are talking. Sometimes it is just eye contact and sometimes it is merely holding hands. Sometimes though, if the conversation is deeper, she likes to lean against him or gently caress his arm as they talk.

Her eyes are so expressive and change color with her emotions. They become this deep blue when she is aroused and a light blue when she is happy and laughing. When they are talking, really talking, her eyes are almost a grayish color.

The other day they sat together at the beach while Back Up ran around and she seemed to sense he was upset. She sat behind him and pulled him back into her arms and just hugged him. She gently ran one hand over his upper chest and the other hand slowly through his hair. Once he realized she was holding him, he allowed himself to relax and just enjoy the moment. They had not talked; they just watched the waves while Back Up chased birds and generally burned off his excess energy. He had felt secure with her.

He has never felt secure with any girl before. His mother is not able to be there to support him. He never knows if Lilly is going to be there or not. He doesn't have a close relationship with Trina; he knows he can't rely on her. Meg is a good friend but she just watches when he is hurt and doesn't say or do anything. Veronica teases him and she sends verbal shots his way, but she does not try and upset or hurt him. He feels comfortable with her. He is slowly settling into their relationship; learning how to be a real boyfriend and learning how to have a real girlfriend.

It is early but he is really enjoying dating Veronica Mars. He walks with her to the party. She looks hot in her bikini and short shorts. They both ignore the looks they receive from the other party goers.

Logan is ready to party tonight but he doesn't need to party. Normally when he and Lilly are broken up, he parties hard and then takes whatever girl he is dating home or has sex with her and then drops her off. Usually he wants to drink, dance, talk to his friends and generally forget that his father is an abusive bastard, his mother relies on pills to make it through each day, his sister Trina is a self absorbed shallow socialite and Lilly is out fucking her new guy or one of her new guys.

Tonight though, Logan doesn't feel the desperation to forget. He is happy because he is out on a date with Veronica Mars. It is not time to worry about tomorrow; it is time to have fun with a girl he really likes and who likes him. It's a good thing.

The 09ers are surprised that Veronica is not possessive of Logan at the party. She seems content for him to dance with other girls and she dances with other guys. She visited with people she knew from school and a couple of girls from the soccer team. When a game of beach volleyball was started, Veronica got pulled in to play. Logan mostly sat with his friends, when he wasn't dancing, and talked.

Later, Veronica sat near the edge of the party listening to one of the girls play a guitar and sing. Logan had wandered over and sat in front of her leaning back into her arms. His comfort with her was noticed by the 09ers sitting around the campfire. He held her arm that was wrapped around him and from time to time leaned up to kiss her. He seemed content to listen to the music and listen to Veronica sing with the group. As always, they looked really comfortable together.

Logan wasn't aware but his 09er friends were a little surprised at how relaxed Logan looked. He wasn't looking for trouble. He wasn't looking for a fight. He wasn't trying any dangerous or stupid stunts. He wasn't watching Veronica every minute. He was calm, smiling and relaxed. Usually he has an edge to him. Tonight, he avoided the late night 09er party games and although he was drinking, he wasn't getting completely plastered. Around one o'clock Logan found Veronica and they left. He had his arm around her shoulder and she had hers around his waist.

Logan is used to being a topic of gossip. What is new is that most of the gossip is guessing about their relationship. Lilly was open about how she felt about him and other guys she was attracted to. Logan was open with the fact he was waiting for Lilly and didn't want his interim girls for anything but easy sex.

This relationship with Veronica is between them. She doesn't talk to anyone about Logan and she definitely doesn't participate in any gossip about their relationship. Logan is not talking about Veronica. He tells the 09er guys to mind their own business when they talk or ask about Veronica and he does not talk about what happens on their dates.

Although most people think he gets off on the constant gossip about him and Lilly, he doesn't. He really likes that his relationship with Veronica is private. Somehow it makes it more meaningful.

Logan, when they get close to his Xterra pulls Veronica to him and enthusiastically lifts her and spins with her.

Veronica laughs, enchanted at his exuberance and fins she really likes a happy Logan. She wraps her arms around his neck and laughs up at him as she is spun around.

When they get to the side of his vehicle, he pins her against the side and leans down to kiss her. She is already breathless from being spun around and held tightly, so his kiss takes the rest of her breath away.

What starts off as a playful kiss soon turns more serious when Veronica responds to his passion parting her lips and touching her tongue with his. Logan presses her into the side of the vehicle so she can feel his arousal against her. Veronica's body softens, accommodating his more muscular form. She feels her body's response to his touch and is amazed at how much passion she feels for him.

Logan opens the back door and lifts her following her in. Veronica quickly finds herself stretched out below him. During their short but wonderful make out session, Veronica learns why 09er girls line up to date Logan.

_Monday_

He asks her if they can have supper together after her soccer practice and she easily agrees that would be fun. They go to the boardwalk and stop at a pizza place to eat. Afterwards they walk along the boardwalk looking in the shops and people watching. Logan smirks as Veronica drags him into Amy's Ice Cream shop. He is a little shocked that she could eat an ice cream sundae after eating her fair share of the pizza. As always the conversation between them is open, friendly and easy. He holds her hand as they walk and he feels comfortable in his own skin when he is with her.

At a surf shop, Logan takes Veronica in to show her the new board he wants. He takes her around the shop and shows her some of the equipment. She enjoys his enthusiasm for the sport and is impressed at his knowledge level. She listens carefully as he explains some of the physics of surfing while they watch a video. He is surprised at how interested she is in it.

He asks her if she would like to learn and she leans into him as they watch the end of the video. "Sure," she says agreeably, "I might as well learn from someone who is skilled at the craft."

Logan smiles pleased that she thinks surfing takes skill. Most people don't see that. He says, "I have some old boards and suits you can use." They agree to try one day the following week.

Logan is surprised at how easy she is about seeing him. She is busy and does not get upset when he can't see her. She just finds a day they are both free and they make plans. She is never upset if he has something to do. Lilly gets upset if she wants to do something and he can't take her. Veronica seems to think he has his own life and whatever he is doing is important. Logan finds he likes how respectful of his time and wants she is.

She is also really busy but he can see that she is making time as best she can for him. He just wishes he could see her more often. He thinks that it would nice to see her more at school; at least for lunch.

Logan enjoys just walking down the boardwalk window shopping, people watching and listening to music from street performers. He is just a guy out enjoying the beautiful weather and the evening with a beautiful girl. There is no drama. It is an ordinary evening of fun. Logan has not had enough of those in his life. Knowing things can get bad for him in the blink of an eye, Logan just basks in the time he spends with Veronica.

_Wednesday_

Veronica appears in Journalism class on Wednesday. She sits at her usual computer and works on her project throughout the class. When Logan comes over and sits at the computer next to her, she asks him about the article he is writing for the next edition of the Neptune Navigator. He opens it and she slides her chair over and reads the article.

Part way through reading his article, she laughs and leans into Logan. He wraps his arm around her. No one can hear what they are talking about but it is obvious that they are a couple that can talk easily. "Logan, you weren't lying to me when you told me that you are a good writer," she says in admiration. "You have a way of writing that invokes a picture in the reader's mind." She shakes her head a little and points out, "You can make the Robotics competition seem interesting." Hugging him excitedly she asks, "Do you like writing articles?"

Logan watching her read the article could see her smile and he felt relief when she laughed. He values her opinion and was a little unsure about what she would think about his writing. When she finishes and compliments him, he smiles happily at her.

A little sheepishly he tells her he actually likes to write articles. She leans in and teases, "I won't tell everyone that Logan Echolls actually likes to participate in a school sponsored function."

"You wouldn't dare," he answers as he leans closer to her and gently kisses her.

When they part she thinks aloud, "I wonder what pictures Duncan will choose to put with the article?"

Immediately Logan tells her that there is a really good picture of Ian working on the robot that would be good. When he sees her smile but she doesn't comment, he asks, "What?"

She reaches up and caresses his cheek, gently teasing, "Look at you all editor like."

His eyes widen in surprise at her words. He has never seen himself as a journalist much less an editor. It is really odd, but nice, for him to have someone admire his work. He has never really had someone believe in him before and he finds that really kind of wonderful.

Veronica looks back at his article on the computer and says musingly, "I am jealous that you already found something you are good at and you can make a real career out of." She looks back at Logan and says, "I like to take pictures but I am not sure what direction to go with it. Should I go the arts route or maybe the business route?" Sighing she says, "I will probably go to college, do my basics and still not know what direction I want to go in."

Logan is astounded. Veronica thinks he could persue journalism or writing and that it is his gift. He says, "Veronica, I saw your pictures at the fire station. You have a real eye for photography."

She smiles happily and says, "I do like it." She looks back at his article and says, "I don't want to end up a photographer at a department store or something." She pauses and then adds musingly, "Mrs. D. is going to go crazy over this article."

He doesn't know what to say so he falls back into sarcasm and leans in and whispers, "What is it going to cost me for you to keep this our little secret?"

Her eyes twinkle as she partially turns so she is facing him and their knees and faces are only inches apart, "Logan, anyone with half a brain will see your talent with words once they read this article." She leans in and whispers dramatically, "The secret will be out."

Logan meeting her gaze realizes she is actually proud of him and genuinely happy for him. He feels a little pain in his chest at her caring manner. He can see she is not trying to get in his good books; she actually means what she is telling him. It makes it even wonderful that it is her. She is smart and driven; she is at the top of their class. He doesn't know what to say so he leans in and kisses her.

The students in the room see the interaction between Logan and Veronica. It is obvious they are dating but what is surprising is how much like friends they act and how soft Logan looks around her. He has never shown any real feelings for his interim girls; he only shows real emotions around Lilly. The students find it very interesting that he has been pursued and now won Veronica Mars. The video where he chases her down and talks to her by her car was revealing in that it was obvious that he was interested in her. The gossip had been that he was just using her to upset Lilly but he doesn't seem to be bragging to Lilly about dating Veronica. In fact, it is just the opposite. He isn't really fighting or interacting with Lilly at all. The talk around the school is that perhaps Lilly and Logan are truly over. Now Logan is dating Veronica Mars who has a reputation of dating the top guys in the school and now she is dating Logan. Most guys who date Veronica get serious about her. The situation is very interesting.

When the teacher tells them it is time to finish up, Logan says, "Ronnie, I think you should come and eat lunch with me." She looks over from shutting down her work and he can see her surprise and trepidation. He takes the arm of her chair, pulls her wheeled chair closer to his and says, "They are talking anyways. We will just do what we want; sometimes I will have lunch with your friends and sometimes you will have lunch with mine."

"It's just that we," she waves her hand between them, "are just starting out."

He catches her hand and says, "You are cautious by nature; I get that." He goes on, "I am more of a 'jump in and to hell with the consequences' type guy." He smiles and teases, "We will meet somewhere in between?"

She can't help but smile back, but she hesitates. Eating with Logan at the 09er table is really saying they are dating for real. He sighs at her obvious trepidation and cajoles, "We are having pizza today. A little food, a little drink and good company." He squeezes her hand and reassures her, "You will be OK."

Finally she shakes her head and stands as she shares, "Logan, I really don't want to."

He stands as well. He sees she is serious. He says, "I like you. I want to see you more often." He steps closer and says, "I thought we were getting along.'

Looking at him she says, "Look, I like you too Logan. I like a lot about you." She pauses and then says, "I am not the type of girl who neglects my family, friends, school work or responsibilities for a guy." She teases, "Even a super hot, smart and charming guy like you."

He says, "Veronica I get that you are busy. I'm not asking you to neglect anything. I just like to be with you and I wish we could spend more time together."

Touched she says, "I want that too."

Logan looks at her closely and says, "The problem is not time is it? You sat with other boyfriends for lunch."

"Actually I didn't sit with them everyday but you are right, I am leery of having lunch at the 09er tables," she shares.

He asks, "Why?"

She looks around and sees that a lot of the students in the class are watching them and then looks back at Logan. She says, "According to a lot of the gossip, I am going to be one of your conquests when you go back to Lilly."

A little frustrated he says, "We've been through this. I can't help the gossip."

She shakes her head and says, "I know but…" She pauses and puts her thoughts in order before she continues, "You have always picked other 09ers as your interim girl. They are just seen as dating one of the top 09er guys. They just go back to their 09er status when you are done with them."

Logan thinks about what she is telling them. Most of the 09er girls are happy to date him. They get to be seen with him and perhaps meet his parents. He has never had a girl who is upset about what her reputation will be like when they break up.

She squeezes his hand and says, "The gossip is that I am not just with you for the status of dating one of the top 09er guys, I am also with you because you are rich."

Logan looks shocked and is upset by what she is telling him. He immediately says, "I don't think of you like that."

She meets his gaze and tells him, "I wouldn't date you if you did but when you go back to Lilly, I don't want to make the walk of shame back to sit with my friends on the other side of the Quad."

He reassures, "Veronica, you are not an interim girl."

She looks at him and says firmly, "Yes I am Logan." He looks shocked at her and she explains, "You love Lilly and when she wants you back, you will go." She pauses and looks around at the other students before she finishes, "You shouldn't pretend otherwise."

The bell rings and she says, "Look, today I am going to have lunch with the soccer team. It's Fran's birthday." She looks at him and says, "I'll talk to you later."

Logan stands there and watches her walk away.


	10. Chapter 10

_Story so Far: AU. Logan/Lilly, Duncan/Meg are the Fab 4. Veronica is the daughter of Sheriff Mars. Logan and Lilly are on an off period and Logan sees Veronica in her soccer uniform. He is really attracted to her but she doesn't want to be an interim girl and tells him she is not an appetizer, she is the main course. As he gets to know her, he is more attracted to her. Veronica goes to tell Logan they can't date; he kisses her and she drops her ice cream. They decide to date but keep their relationship private. They have two really good dates. Both are becoming more attracted to each other. Logan really enjoys dating Veronica. She is fun, beautiful and supportive. They grow closer emotionally and physically. However Veronica knows that soon Logan will go back to Lilly and Logan is upset she thinks she is an interim girl._

Logan texts Veronica and leaves a message for her to call him when she can. He wants to meet her and talk about her comment to him during journalism. He does not think of her as an interim girl and he was a little stung that she would still think she is after how close they have gotten.

It was almost as if she was saying that he should be honest with her. He was. Their relationship was honest. He talked to her more than he talked to almost anyone, even Duncan.

Truthfully, he was a little hurt that she would think he was using her or leading her on. He didn't have anyone he could talk to about his relationship with Veronica. Duncan loves his sister and Meg is a close friend of Lilly's. All of Logan's 09er friends don't approve of his relationship with Veronica and are waiting for him to get back with Lilly.

He really likes to see her, talk to her and spend time with her. He likes how he feels around her; he feels normal. He feels like an ordinary guy dating an ordinary girl. They just go out and have fun. She really likes him and sees a lot of good in him. She actually thinks he has a gift for writing and should go to college. He has to admit that having someone who believes in him is pretty nice.

Veronica is beautiful inside and out. She cares about the firefighters, deputies and their families. She has close friends and she is popular on the soccer team. He remembers how she stopped after school and helped her team mate with her flat tire. The 09er guys had nothing to do and they just stood there watching and ridiculing.

Veronica cooks, takes care of the apartment and shops. She works to save for college and she spends time with her friends and her father. She is so much more. Logan never thought he would be interested in a girl like her, but he really is.

Veronica, on her break from work, returns Logan's call. He answers and asks if he can see her after she is done work. He is at supper with Dick, Madison, Susan and Casey. He knows they are listening to his conversation with interest. He adds, "I want to talk to you for a few minutes."

Veronica thinks about meeting Logan somewhere but really doesn't have a lot of free time so she mentions, "I have a lot of homework tonight Logan. Can you come over? Dad is working late and I need to walk Back Up before I start my homework."

Easily Logan agrees to meet her there and listens as she tells him she should be home by 9pm. He says, "OK, see you then."

He adds teasingly, "I love the chocolate macadamia nut cake if you are bringing home something."

Laughing she tells him she will see what she can do and hangs up. Logan is smiling when he hangs up. When he turns his attention back to the conversation at the table he doesn't realize how happy he looks after talking to Veronica. The guys think he is going over to have sex and that is why he is smiling. Madison though sees that Logan really likes Veronica. She can't believe he would actually become attached to the 02er.

Logan knocks on Veronica's apartment door and waits for her to open it. It doesn't take long. He can hear her chastising her dog. It is obvious that, in his excitement, he is getting in her way of her opening the door. Finally he hears her say, "Move you big idiot! Dad will have to be a genius to train you."

She opens the door and smiles when she sees him bend down and brace himself for Back Up's rush to greet him. The tall, dark haired boy laughs and turns his head away from the puppy's enthusiastic kisses. He greets 'the little man killer' as he affectionately calls him.

Veronica watches as her boyfriend scratches Back Up's neck and talks to him. He is telling him that he has to remember to protect the blond girl, quit running away and quit eating things from the garbage.

Teasingly she tells him, "You will lose your enthusiasm for a pet if you have to clean his poop or bathe him."

Logan smiles, his eyes twinkling at her teasing, and he adopts a snooty air, "I would, of course, hire that out."

"Of course," she parrots not even trying to hide her smile.

He stands up and takes the few steps to Veronica, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her into his body. She has changed out of her Hut uniform into comfortable Neptune High sweat pants and a t shirt. She looks great but Logan doesn't know another girl who would change into sweat pants and an old t shirt when she knows he is coming over. Her comfort with herself and him is really attractive to the young man who everyone caters to. Leaning down he gently nuzzles behind her ear stating; "Now this is what I came over for."

Smiling at his touch, she leans back wrapping her arms around his neck and whispers huskily, "I have no complaints if you came over for this."

Logan lowers his head and kisses her. Feeling her immediate response, he pulls her closer. The kiss deepens and the two teenagers just enjoy the feelings between them. Although they have only been dating a short time, both of them know that what they are feeling is real and rare. They pull apart, breathless.

Tenderly he reaches up and brushes the hair from her cheek, pushing it behind her shoulder. He observes, "You are so beautiful!"

Happy that he is attracted to her and that they are getting along so well, she murmurs, "I am glad you think so."

"I do," he tells her as he caresses her cheek with his index finger, "I really do."

Touched, she blushes a little and lowers her gaze. Logan smiles at her girly reaction to his words. Veronica is a forthright person and her larger than life personality makes one forget how small and vulnerable she can be. Sometimes she shows her soft inner self and each time, Logan feels a response deep inside him. She is not a girl who uses feminine wiles to get her way. Although she has grown up surrounded by men and is not above using that head tilt thing or a smile to get her way, she normally communicates openly and honestly; what you see is what you get with her. Logan really likes that she doesn't play games and she is not looking to mess with his mind. Dating Veronica is like breathing in the fresh morning air when he is surfing. He feels invigorated, relaxed, and happy with her.

Veronica looks up at Logan and asks, "You said you had something you wanted to talk to me about. Was that just an excuse to see me?"

He smiles at her attempt to get the conversation away from her feelings of embarrassment. Knowingly he smirks at her and says, "I do have something to talk to you about but getting to hold you and talk to you is always great."

Veronica shakes her head at his flattery and pulls him into the living room to the couch. She sits and pats the couch beside her.

Logan notices that her laptop is open on the kitchen table and her history books are open. He shakes his head at how busy her schedule is as he sits beside her. She just got off work and is already studying.

Logan turns to face her and then tells her that their conversation in journalism bothered him. He outlines what she said and then takes her hand and earnestly tells her, "You are not an interim girl."

Veronica can see he is upset and she doesn't really understand why. It is a matter of common sense to her. Logan has dated Lilly since they were in Middle School. They fight; they break up. Each has had a string of people they date while they are broken up but they always get back together. It would be foolish of her to assume he is going to forget about Lilly for her.

The silence drags on and Logan sees that she really does believe she is an interim girl.

She finally says, "I don't know what you want me to say." Meeting his gaze she sees that he is upset and a little angry. She flounders a little and then adds, "Maybe you should tell me why you are upset."

He takes her hand and his voice is shining with sincerity as he tells her, "You mean more to me than an interim girl. They were using me and I was using them. I don't think of you like that and I don't treat you like that." He adds, "I guess I am kind of offended that you would think I treat you like an interim girl."

Veronica opens her mouth and then closes it not really knowing what to say. Finally she bites her lip and ventures, "I guess I thought we were honest with each other."

Immediately he says, "I am honest with you. I like our relationship. You mean a lot to me." He reads the skepticism on her face.

She asks, "So if Lilly decides she wants you back tomorrow, you are not going to go back to her?"

Logan hesitates and Veronica, seeing this, frowns that he is upset with her attitude that she is an interim girl when he would go back to Lilly in a heartbeat. He is not making any sense.

By her expression of frustration, Logan can see that Veronica doesn't understand his upset. Now that she has outright asked him about Lilly, he feels stupid. He can't tell her that he won't go back to Lilly; yet he is honestly upset Veronica thinks she is an interim girl. He immediately realizes that he didn't think his feelings through.

Worried at the tone of the conversation and Logan's upset, she placates, "Look Logan, I wasn't trying to upset you. I am not complaining how you treat me." She looks at him, "I don't want to date if I can't be honest with what I think and feel."

Immediately he reassures her, "I want you to be honest, I do." He squeezes the hand he is holding and adds, "I like our relationship. You mean a lot to me. I guess I just don't want you to think I am using you."

She thinks about what he is saying for a few seconds and then ventures, "Well, I don't think you are using me as such." She pauses and then adds, "I guess I just think we are enjoying each other but not looking to the future."

Logan is quiet absorbing what she is telling him. He clarifies, "You seem to only have serious relationships."

Sighing a little she answers, "I don't really have an answer to that. They just seemed to happen." Shifting a little she goes on, "I am really a practical person. I knew before I started dating both Josh and Victor that it wouldn't last. I was too young to be in a serious relationship and both of them were leaving me."

Logan can see what she is telling him. She was a freshman and Josh was a senior going to play football in college in another state. Dating him and thinking their relationship could last through a three year separation would be very naïve. Then she dated Victor who was going away to Harvard. They would separated at least two years if she ended up going to Harvard after she graduated and longer if she didn't go to the same university.

Curious he asks, "Then why did you get so serious if you knew it wouldn't last?"

She turns his hand over and rubs her finger over his palm. "I was honest with both of them and they were honest with me. We knew that it probably wasn't forever. I just connected with them. I was happy to be with them and didn't see any reason to be with someone else while they were here."

Pausing she takes a deep breath and then adds, "It hurt when they left but it was worth it to me because of how good I felt with them."

Looking up at him she sees he is really listening. She continues, "Most guys just want to have sex and some aren't…. respectful to the women they have sex with. There are a lot of scary guys out there."

He sees what she is telling him. He knows it is more risky for the girl. He tunes back into her as she continues with her explanation, "I like to have fun but I am not the type of girl who just wants to have fun. Even if I am physically attracted to a guy, I don't have sex with him if I don't feel some measure of respect or admiration for him," she explains.

Logan immediately reassures her, "I don't think you are easy.

She smirks and says, "I guess I can sleep at night now."

He smiles at her and admits, "That didn't come out right. I meant that you don't have the reputation as easy and I am not dating you to get the easy score."

She nods at him, "I know that. You could have almost any girl you wanted." She adds, "I know we are more."

She curls her feet under her as she sits and lets go of his hand leaning back into the cushions of the couch. She continues to look down at her lap and shares, "I am looking forward to having sex with you." Looking up she meets his gaze and says, "I like a lot about you. I know you'll be good to me. I trust you."

Logan is really pleased that she trusts and likes him. He does understand what she is saying. She doesn't want sex for sex's sake. She likes to have the underlying feelings of caring and respect. He meets her gaze and says confidently, "I will make it good for you."

He reaches over and pulls her into his arms and settles her in his lap. Veronica goes willingly into his arms looking up at him. Gently he caresses the hair away from her face and looks down at her. The tenderness he feels for her rises; his eyes soften. He says, "I have strong feelings for you. I like so much about you." He runs his finger down her cheek to her chin and watches his finger as it travels over her soft skin.

He adds, "You are strong, sweet, smart and sexy."

She smiles up at him and shares, "I am attracted to you. You are handsome but I like how you are quick witted, funny and considerate. You are easy to talk to and you keep me on my toes. That combination is rare and I wanted to explore a relationship with you even if it couldn't be for a long time."

Running her hand through his hair gently she continues, "I want things to be honest between us; just two people who like each other and want to enjoy each other for as long as it lasts.

He feels the upset leave him. He leans down and kisses her. She immediately responds parting her lips and teasing his tongue with hers. Slowly and easily he caresses up her side to her breast and teases her nipple through her bra. He enjoys her response to his touch.

Veronica really likes how she feels being held and kissed by Logan. He is experienced with girls and he treats her well. She feels so much passion for him and they haven't even had sex yet.

Logan is definitely aroused by Veronica's body but he knows it is more for him as well. He is attracted to her inner beauty. He likes their relationship and feels like they are good for each other.

Now that he understands that she is not looking for forever, he feels better. She doesn't think he is using her. She understands that they are what they are and is looking to enjoy what they have for as long as they are together.

He thinks that he can do the same; enjoy their time together. She is really special to him and he really likes how he is with her and how they are together. Right now that is more than enough.

The relationship between Logan and Veronica changes after their talk. Now that they have defined it, they are even more comfortable together.

Veronica is happy to be with a guy she likes and she has a lot of fun with. Her physical relationship was so good with Josh and Victor. They were both experienced, wanted to please her and treated her well. She really likes Logan and she knows he cares about her. She trusts that he will be good to her and she will enjoy it.

Logan is excited to date Veronica and now that he knows that she won't be upset when he goes back to Lilly, he relaxes even more with her. He normally just makes sure his partners are satisfied but he knows that it will be more with Veronica. He wants to please her and to make their physical relationship really good for her as well.

Lilly is still happy with whatever relationship she is in now and instead of being miserable and waiting for her to want him back, Logan is busy and happy dating Veronica Mars. For the first time he is rethinking his belief that if Lilly really loved him, she wouldn't want others. Maybe she is right that they are too young to be so serious. They are going to be apart for at least a year while she heads off to college. He knows Lilly well enough to know that she will not be faithful to him while she is away. They will break up and she will go away. It is foolish for him to wait for her or think that they will get back together when he graduates high school and heads to college. After talking to Veronica he sees that she was realistic about her relationships with Josh and Victor. She has good memories of her times with them. She missed them when they left but she was realistic enough to know that she couldn't hold onto them. Maybe if she was meant to be with one of them, she would meet him again when they were both free to be truly together. He is upset about it but can see that he may have to let Lilly go and if they are meant to be, they will get together someday.

He realizes that he chose to be empty and unhappy when he and Lilly were apart. He picked interim girls who did not care about him and did not interest him beyond the sex. He now sees that although he loves Lilly, he can have positive feelings for someone else. Veronica has taught him that and he is so grateful that he has gotten to know her. She has been really good for him. He is learning more about himself with Veronica and he is growing and changing for the better with her.

Secretly Logan is relieved that Lilly doesn't want him back right now. He really wants more time with Veronica. That is a first for him and he is truly excited to get up every morning knowing that he is going to see and spend time with Veronica. She is busy, gives him time with his friends and is open to new experiences with him.

He thinks about how she came to the beach for her first surf lesson after soccer practice on Wednesday. He spotted her and came out of the water to meet her. He smirked as he saw that the 09er girls were looking daggers at her but she did not appear to notice. Lilly was busy with her new man after school so at least they didn't have to deal with her watching Veronica's surf lesson.

Smiling happily to see her, he goes over and tries to hug her. She sees he is wet and avoids him shaking her finger at him stating, "You are wet, no way!"

Laughing he rushes her and catches her hugging her to his wet, cold body. He ignores her shriek and picks her up carrying her to his truck. He leans down and kisses her, effectively silencing her protests. When the kiss is over, he puts her down and unlocks the back opening the door to get her out a wet suit. He finds one that will fit her and gets the small board off the roof of the Xterra while she puts on the wet suit.

He is completely stoked that she is going to learn to surf. He is boy enough to ogle her as she removes her shorts and t shirt and puts the wet suit on over her bikini. When she catches him watching her she frowns at him and says, "Are you sure this wet suit fits me? It is really tight."

He smiles at her and says, "It looks like a perfect fit to me." He pulls her into his arms and assures her, "It is supposed to be tight."

She looks at him and flirts, "Well yours is."

A little shocked at her openness at looking at his body, he smiles and threatens, "Keep it up and we won't get your lesson in today."

She smiles back and steps into his arms and wraps her arms around his neck. Placing gentle kisses up his neck to his ear, she whispers, "My dad is working late. You could come over. I need to thank you properly for the lesson."

Immediately he agrees negotiating, "My parents are out of town. We could pick up something to eat and go to my place."

"Mmmm…" she murmurs as she gently rubs her hand on his chest. "Sounds like a plan."

Logan leans in and puts his lips over hers.

The 09ers can't see them from their position on the beach but since the couple is gone for a long time, most of them can imagine what they are doing.

Logan carries Veronica's board to the edge of the water and starts her lesson. They start by stretching together. Veronica is very flexible; a fact Logan and the 09er guys immediately notice. When they are done warming up, Logan takes her into the water and has her lie on her board. He shows her where the best place for her to lay on the board is explaining that it is important that the front of the board doesn't dip into the water or lift too far out of the water. She is using the board he had when he was eight and he teases her about it.

She frowns at him but listens as he points out where on the board she should try and get her chin to be for perfect balance. There is a design on the board and he points out that she should aim for her chin to be above the red part of the design. Then he holds the board in waist deep water and has her learn to sit on the board while he holds it. It is harder than it looks and she finds she over balances a lot. After a few minutes she learns to sit very still and relax and then she feels a lot steadier on the board.

They go back to shore and Logan teaches her how to get up from lying down on the board. He demonstrates a few times and then watches her as she tries. He is a good teacher giving her lots of encouragement and pointers on her form. It helps that he is hot in his wetsuit and she definitely doesn't mind when he touches her to correct her posture and position.

After she practices on the beach a while, he takes her into the water and holds the board while she practices getting up from a laying position. Like most inexperienced surfers, she overbalances and falls off the board or she doesn't get all the way up and falls a lot in the beginning. He reassures her that it is normal and then claps for her when she gets up properly the first time. He finds that soccer actually helps her with her balance and footwork. She has a low center of gravity and can get her feet under her quickly. She is also a pretty good swimmer which helps. Finally when she feels like her muscles are already protesting, he gets his board and goes out with her.

Logan sits on his board watching her first attempts trying not to laugh. He remembers when he first started and how he felt like a drowned rat after his lesson. When she finally stands and rides part way in, she gets so excited that she falls off the board. Logan laughs and is happy for her when she stands up in the shallow water and cheers at her first ride. He can see she actually loves it and he is really excited that she does. None of the 09er girls surf and Logan is really thrilled that Veronica would learn to do something he really enjoys.

She practices for a few more minutes managing to stand a few more times in-between numerous falls. Finally she paddles over to Logan and sits beside him. He reaches over and pulls her board closer and holds it steady for her. She is excited about riding and tells him how great it was and how she can already see where on the wave to start. He watches indulgently as she waves her arms in her excitement and almost falls off her board.

She looks at him after she almost falls and says, "Oops, I will have to learn to curb my arm gestures on the water."

He laughs and leans over giving her a kiss which almost causes her to fall again.

The 09er girls on the beach talk about how Veronica looks awful in her wetsuit and now she looks even worse after falling repeatedly in the water. She obviously doesn't understand how to keep a man interested. How can Logan even look at her as a sex partner if he sees her looking so unattractive?

The 09er guys who are surfing and watching her lesson are impressed that she would learn to surf. She actually does pretty well for a first time and they can see that Logan is happy to teach her.

Tired and winding down, Veronica tells Logan, "I'm pretty wiped. I think I will go lie on the beach while you surf." She meets his gaze and genuinely thanks him for taking the time to teach her to surf and lending her the board and wetsuit. She observes, "You are a good teacher."

He smiles easily, "It was my pleasure." He advises, "You need to come out a few more times as soon as possible while you remember your lesson."

She nods in agreement, "Sounds fun." Then she flirts, "I wish I had seen you in your wet suit when we started dating. I might have learned sooner."

Logan laughs and deadpans, "I wanted to make sure you didn't just want me for my body first."

Amused she returns, "Yeah that sounds like you."

The sight of the couple laughing together is disconcerting to the 09er girls. It is obvious that they get along well. They have not seen Logan look so entertained. He laughs more with her and he looks at her like he thinks she is important and special.

The 09er guys watching can see that Veronica is more than an interim girl that Logan uses just for sex. It is obvious that he actually likes her. They watched as Josh and then Victor dated her. Both of them could have had almost any girl but both chose to date Veronica. Now Logan is dating her. They think he will go back to Lilly but this Veronica seems to be able to get the most desirable guys in the school. Josh was the quarterback on the football team and got a full scholarship to college. Victor was the Valedictorian of his class and got a full scholarship to Harvard. Both of them needed the scholarships to go to university. Logan is the first 09er she has dated although he is not the first 09er who went after her. Over the last few years, a lot of the 09ers guys asked her out. This year when she was single at the start of the school year, quite a few 09er guys asked her out. She always said no. Even Logan, who has girls lined up to date him, had to chase her. He is the first guy from her grade that she has dated. Right now Lilly is busy with her new man and is not a factor. The guys all wonder what will happen when Lilly does want Logan back.

Logan and Veronica decide to go in. Veronica goes first and makes it almost all the way in before she falls. Logan waits until she gets her board and walks on shore and then easily rides his board in. He carries both their boards up the beach walking with her to where he left his blanket and chair. Gallantly, he encourages her to sit in his chair and she collapses back in the chair complaining that she will be sore the next day. She says a little dramatically, "I had no idea how many muscles I would use to surf."

Pleased that she is acknowledging how physically demanding surfing is, he opens his ice chest and hands her a water. He watches while she takes a long drink and then he takes the water from her and finishes it while she pulls her wetsuit down to her waist. It is a casual thing with them but actually quite intimate. She opens her bag and gets out her sun glasses and her ipod.

Logan stands looking down at her enjoying the view of her in his old suit and sitting on his spot on the beach. He says, "I'll surf for a while and then we can go and eat."

She nods easily as she turns her ipod on and readies her ear plugs. She waves him away, "I'll be here, happily baking. Take your time."

He leans down and kisses her and then goes over to grab his board and go out to surf with his friends. Veronica watches him walk away and then puts her head back and closes her eyes. Soon she is fast asleep; the soccer practice and surf lesson catching up with her.

Out on the water Logan looks over and sees that she is probably asleep. His face gentles as he looks her direction and his 09er buddies see he has feelings for her.

Casey ventures, "Veronica actually did OK for a first time."

Logan nods and looks over at Casey. He agrees adding, "She is in good shape so that helped."

The guys can see that playing soccer probably helped her with her balance. Dick says, "She is a pretty good looking surfer chick."

Logan shakes his head at Dick and laughs. He teases, "The world is not a complex place for you, my friend."

The guys all laugh enjoying the warm day, surfing and being with their friends. They have known Logan for years and it is good to see him so relaxed and happy. He is usually so wound up and angry when he is broken up with Lilly. Although they know that Veronica will be gone when Lilly and Logan get back together, she has actually been pretty good for Logan. He is settled with her. It is not something they are used to seeing with their friend.

When the guys come in, Logan does see that Veronica is asleep. He takes their boards and gear up to his Xterra and puts them away. Then he takes off his wetsuit and puts on his t shirt. The guys are all packing up when he goes back and kneels down beside his sleeping girlfriend. He leans down and gently kisses her awake and the 09ers surreptitiously watch as she slowly awakens stretching and then cuddling into her boyfriend. She whines a little stating, "Tired."

Logan smiles gently at her and quietly says, "Let's head out. There is a Jacuzzi tub and dinner in your future."

Veronica stretches and agrees, "That sounds great!"

Logan stands and then helps her up. They pack up her things and the rest of his things and walk together towards his Xterra. He looks around and says, "Did you bring your car?"

She leans into him still sleepy and says, "No, Ann dropped me off on her way home."

Logan questions, "What are you hungry for?"

Veronica thinks and says, "I don't know. Maybe pizza?" She tilts her head up looking at him and asks, "What do you feel like?"

He thinks for a moment and decides, "I could go for Italian."

"Mmm," she agrees, "That sounds perfect."

Logan packs up the rest of his things while Veronica gets out of her wetsuit. She reaches in her bag and pulls out her shorts and t shirt. Before she can put them on Logan wraps his arms around her and pulls her back into his chest. He kisses down her neck and says, "I want you so much." He slowly caresses her abdomen.

Veronica leans back into Logan and enjoys his touch, tilting her neck encouraging his kisses. Her eyes close and she doesn't notice Madison's look of anger as she looks out the passenger side of Dick's truck when they drive by. She bitches, "I don't know what he sees in her."

Dick wisely says nothing. She looked hot in Logan's old wetsuit. She must be pretty good sexually to keep Josh and Victor, who were both players, satisfied for so long. Logan, who is really experienced, seems to enjoy her as well. Although she can be a real bitch at times, she seems to be keeping Logan happy while he waits for Lilly to want him back. That is all that really matters to Dick.

Logan turns her in his arms and kisses her. He runs his hand up her back enjoying the expanse of bare skin.

When he pulls away he says, "Let's head out. I need a shower. I feel gritty."

She looks up at him keeping her arms around his neck. Her lips are red from his kiss and her voice is husky as she tells him, "I could be persuaded to share my bath."

His eyes darken as he looks down at her. He tells his girlfriend, "I can be very persuasive."


	11. Chapter 11

_Story so Far: AU. Logan/Lilly, Duncan/Meg are the Fab 4. Veronica is the daughter of Sheriff Mars. Logan and Lilly are on an off period and Logan sees Veronica in her soccer uniform. He is really attracted to her but she doesn't want to be an interim girl and tells him she is not an appetizer, she is the main course. As he gets to know her, he is more attracted to her. Veronica goes to tell Logan they can't date; he kisses her and she drops her ice cream. They decide to date but keep their relationship private. They grow closer emotionally and physically. However Veronica knows that soon Logan will go back to Lilly and Logan is upset she thinks she is an interim girl. They have an honest and open talk. They both agree to just enjoy what is between them as long as it lasts. Veronica has her first surfing lesson._

_A/N: Since this is the time of year people are consciously thankful for the good things in their lives, I wanted to sincerely thank all of you who have reviewed my stories this year. Your thoughts on my writing have definitely guided and encouraged me._

_ms. Jaicee lee: I couldn't write you back but I did agree with your suggestion... see if I improved this chapter. Thanks._

_Amy: Thanks for all your support and help. You inspire me!_

_On with the story..._

The next morning

Veronica gets out of her car and floats into school. Mac takes one look at her friend and teases, "Do I need to ask you how your first surfing lesson went?"

Smiling happily, Veronica excitedly tells her how much she liked surfing. She talks about what she learned, how much she fell and how sore she was after. She comments, "I thought I was in pretty good shape but my back, abdomen and legs hurt last night."

Mac enjoying her friend's happiness intones, "So surfing is what makes Logan's body so smoking hot?"

Veronica's mouth drops open and Mac starts to laugh bumping her shoulder against Veronica's as they walk. She says, "Just asking."

Amused Veronica shakes her head and goes on with her story describing what a good instructor Logan is. She sighs dreamily, "He was so patient and encouraging."

Mac has to smile at Veronica's manner. It is good to see her so happy. She had been so down after Victor left and had been determined not to date someone that would move away again. This time she decided if she dated again, it would be someone her own age, no drama and lots of good fun.

Then Logan Echolls, in an off period from his long term girlfriend, noticed Veronica. Mac and Erica talked to Veronica explaining their concerns about her dating a boy who is not emotionally free. She breezily assured them that dating was supposed to be for fun when you were in high school. She teased, "I think I am supposed to meet Mr. Right in college." She adds putting her finger to her chin contemplatively, "At least I think that is what Dad is saying." The two girls had smiled at her comment.

This morning watching her friend float on a cloud of happiness, Mac wonders if Veronica has deeper feelings for Logan than she is letting on. She really hopes her friend doesn't get hurt.

Veronica thinks about last night with Logan. It was even better than she dreamed it would be. The boy is always surprising her. Just when she thinks she has him pegged, he shows her more. When they got to Logan's mansion, she was thinking she might get him to take her home. She felt tired from soccer practice and a little sore from her first surfing lesson. Her demanding schedule seemed to be finally taking its toll on her.

Surprisingly Logan took really good care of her. He ordered her delicious manicotti and when she was pleasantly full, he prepared her a bath. It felt wonderful to soak in the warm scented water, listen to relaxing music in the candle light and just do nothing. Logan declined to soak with her after all; instead heading off to shower and giving her time alone.

When she got out of the tub, she wrapped herself in a huge fluffy towel. Logan appeared and got her to lay face down on his bed. The sheets on his bed were silky and incredibly soft against her naked skin. He gave her a back massage with wonderful smelling cream.

She had been in heaven; spoiled with wonderful food, a soak in the Jacuzzi tub and then a great, relaxing back rub.

Veronica felt boneless lying there feeling his warm hands rub the sore muscles in her back. Finally he turned her over and lay beside her, his head propped up on his elbow looking down at her. She had looked up at him in adoration. She was totally relaxed, happy and ready to be with him.

Only partly teasing, she informed him, "Tonight you will have to do all the work. I don't think I can move."

He smiled that sexy, playful smile that simultaneously melts her heart and makes her want him. Quietly he said, "I have no problem with that," before he leaned down to kiss her.

Apparently he wasn't lying. He kissed her until she didn't know her name anymore. All she knew was how great it felt in Logan's arms with his lips on hers. Helpless to do anything else, she responded to his kisses and touches; honestly and openly.

Logan, knowing she was tired, was happy to completely take over. After their talk, he was confident that Veronica would be open to his touch and moving their relationship along. He knew he could make sex between them good for them both.

He soon found out why Josh and Victor were satisfied and happy dating her. She was so natural and so loving during sex. Her gentle touches and happy murmurs were like music to Logan's ears. What struck him the most was the openness, honesty and trust. She let him take complete control and she trusted he would take care of her and make it good for them both. She doesn't understand that he lacks so much control in his home life and dating Lilly that he really enjoys when he can have control. He had touched her, explored her with his hands and lips, found what she liked and what really turned her on. Skillfully, he brought her to the edge and he had kept her there while she breathlessly begged him for more. He decided when she would come. It had been a real heady experience for him.

He watched her, enjoying her reaction to her orgasm for a minute; then he wasted no time in bringing her up again. It had been an amazing experience being inside her. Even wet and totally relaxed, she was incredibly tight for him to enter and he felt like he fit perfectly inside her. When he moved he felt friction along his whole length and when she came with him inside, it was the most arousing thing Logan ever felt. She squeezed him even tighter and it felt like she was caressing him. He came so hard, he swears he felt dizzy for a few seconds. The feeling was indescribable.

The absolute best thing was after when he pulled out of her, she sleepily cuddled into him caressing his chest sighing, "That was so good!" before she fell asleep. She made soft, contented, kitten-like noises when he caressed her back as they lay together. He had wanted her again almost immediately after but let her rest. She was practically comatose after the soccer practice, surf lesson and lovemaking. Next time when she was not so exhausted, she would be ready for round two much sooner.

As he held her, he listened to her cute little murmurs and enjoyed her unconscious cuddling. He is sexually experienced for his age but he has never actually cuddled with a girl before. It is a really nice feeling to hold her and have her so comfortable with him; unexpected, but nice.

Later Logan woke her up; gently kissing her awake. She nuzzled his neck and told him how much she appreciated how he took care of her. She told him she was blown away by how great he made her feel. He could see she wasn't trying to manipulate him; she was just being honest. He has never been able to look after anyone before and it touched him deep inside to make her feel so good. It touched him that she thought he was so wonderful and good to her.

Then to his happiness, she had felt invigorated after her sleep and had immediately climbed on top of him. She playfully told him that now it was her turn to please him. And she had; she definitely had.

Veronica waves goodbye to Mac and heads to her locker. She is putting her books in when she feels Logan wrap his arms around her from behind. She smiles and relaxes letting him pull her into his arms and she closes her eyes enjoying his kisses behind her ear and down her neck.

She quietly greets him, "Good morning."

He squeezes her gently and asks, "How are you this morning? Sore?"

"No," she says, "I had a wonderful massage." She turns and looks up at him. "This guy had magical hands," she says wiggling her fingers. Leaning into him she finishes, "he gave me the full service treatment."

Pleased and amused he asks, "Was he expensive?"

She slides her arms around his neck and answers snappily, "He was definitely worth the tip I left him."

He smiles at the memory of the 'tip' she gave him. Looking down at her he intones, "I think you should book another appointment with this wonder."

"I really should," she agrees as she pulls his head down to kiss him.

As Lilly walks by she sees that Logan is definitely not resisting Veronica's kiss. Some of the 09er guys think that Logan is not having sex with Veronica because he is not talking about it. However Lilly recognizes Logan's possessive manner and touch. He and Veronica are definitely having sex.

Lilly is not sure what she thinks about Logan dating Veronica Mars. On one hand, she doesn't want Logan back right now. He is occupied with his interim girl and is not bothering her. She is free to date her new men; so it is good. On the other hand, this breakup is different and it is a little disconcerting for her. Logan usually looks at her with his puppy dog eyes begging her to take him back. Normally he gets Meg and Duncan to talk to her about getting back together with him. This time he is not trying to get her attention. In fact, it is just the opposite. He doesn't sit with her at lunch, he doesn't even respond to her jibes about her new guy's prowess in bed and he doesn't do crazy stunts to get her attention. She knows Logan and he is not avoiding her as a ploy to get her back; he really doesn't want to get back together with her right now. That is a first and Lilly is not sure if she should be worried or not. As Lilly walks by, she is surprised to see that Logan is so wrapped up in flirting and kissing Veronica that he doesn't even know she is walking by. Usually he still watched her and knew what she was doing even when they were not dating. Now he is not watching and Lilly really doesn't know what to think about it.

Logan hugs Veronica to him after they kiss and he says, "I'll walk you to class."

As they walk together, they talk generally about their plans for after school. Veronica has soccer practice every day. She is pretty excited about how good the team is doing in district this year. Last year they didn't make the playoffs but this year they have a good record in district and should make the post season. The team is young but she feels they have a lot of talent and are working hard together.

Logan wants her to fit in a couple of times surfing so she can work on what she has learned before she forgets it. Veronica understands and agrees to surf with Logan after school on Friday before she works at the Hut and then on Sunday morning. Happy that she seems excited to be surfing, Logan agrees to pack his old surf board and wet suit for her.

She tells him that her journalism project is almost done and Mrs. D. is really pleased at how well it is turning out. She happily tells Logan that she is almost guaranteed a top grade. She shares how Mac loves the new computer part she bought her and their working together was definitely a win/win situation.

She asks Logan about what project he decided to do in History. He tells about possibly writing a script and getting his mother to do the voice over. He has picked the La Purisima Conception Mission. He describes how it is one of the best examples of mission architecture having thirty seven rooms that are completely restored. Enthused, he talks about how he wants to highlight the impressive garden area that has plants from all the other missions and is one of the best collections of Early Californian flora. Listening to how well he planned his project she says a little incredulously, "You are a history geek."

Immediately he tries to shush her and she says her voice a little louder, "Logan Echolls is a …"

Quickly he picks her up and carries her into the doorway of a conference room and puts his hand over her mouth once he puts her down. She is giggling and her eyes are twinkling up at him really enjoying his obvious discomfort. He says, "Veronica, for god's sake…"

Pulling her mouth away from his hand she finishes in a whisper, "history geek."

He is entranced by her happiness and playfulness. Not finished she teases, "What will I learn next? You love math?"

When Logan hesitates, she gleefully says, "Oh my god! You love math?"

Finally he breaks down and laughs. She is just too irresistible in this mood. She leans back against the wall and teases, "I get you have a reputation to uphold." She tilts her head up at him and says, "My silence can be negotiated."

Immediately suspicious, he asks, "What is your price?"

Coyly she rotates her shoulders and mentions, "I am still a little stiff from my surfing lesson…."

Seeing that she is not really wanting anything and just teasing, he leans in and whispers in her ear, "That is a price I would gladly pay." He kisses her.

As they walk towards her first period holding hands, she says, "You know Logan, I wish you would think about transferring to some AP classes." She looks up and suggests, "Even if it is just English and History."

He frowns and anticipating he may say something snarky, she puts her other hand up forestalling him. She meets his gaze and explains, "I know they are more work but I believe you are up for the challenge and I think you would enjoy being in a class where the teacher teaches more in depth."

The spoiled, rich boy is touched at her belief in him. He listens as she adds, "High school classes can be boring but Logan, you are here anyways. You might as well get what you can out of them."

He looks down at her and sees that she truly thinks he will do well in advanced classes. Not wanting to upset her by blowing off her suggestion but unsure if he agrees with her points, he diplomatically answers, "I will think about it Veronica.'

He is rewarded with a smile that lights up her face and she tells him, "That will be payment enough for my silence."

He is surprised and squeezes her hand as they walk. She is really different than most of the girls he knows; actually most people he knows. He can see she really wants what is best for him. It is a really nice feeling to know she cares.

Thursday evening

Logan arrives at Duncan's soccer game and heads over to the visitor stands. Looking up the stairs, he sees the normal parent and family crowd including Lilly, Jake and Celeste. Scanning the crowd, he notices the usual 09er crowd as well. Turning back to the field he looks at the score board and sees that it is late in the first half and there is no score yet.

Relaxed, he walks up the bleacher stairs towards Jake and Celeste Kane. Logan nods to a few of the parents he knows and then walks down the row in front of Jake and Celeste. He stops in front of Celeste telling her hello and then moves further along and shakes Jake's hand.

Teasing Jake says, "Tell me you aren't late because you were in detention?"

Logan smirks and shakes his head. He returns easily, "Not this time. I was at the girls' soccer game." He nods across the way to another soccer field."

Their attention is taken by a shot on goal by the Neptune team. Logan says his goodbyes and continues on down the row. He nods briefly to Lilly, her posse and the 09er guys sitting there. Continuing on he goes down a couple of rows to sit with the 09er guys sitting there.

Sitting down next to Peter, he comments, "It doesn't look like I missed much."

Peter tells him that the Neptune team has had lots of shots on net but the other team's goalie is amazing. Logan nods and watches the game. He listens to the guys recount some of the shots that they thought were going to be goals but were stopped. Peter predicts, "It is only a matter of time until we score on that guy."

At half time the guys talk about going surfing and the video tournament that Derek is having at his house on Saturday night. The weather is warm but there is a breeze that makes it seem tolerable.

Just before the game restarts, the girls' soccer team along with their coaches arrives to watch the second half of the game. They are obviously happy and when a couple of the parents watching ask how their game went, a few girls answer excitedly that they won 3-2.

Veronica and a few of her teammates walk further up the bleachers towards Logan and the rest of the 09ers. Veronica's legs and socks are dirty and have grass stains. Her hair is pulled back into the same style as the rest of the team. Her face is almost devoid of make up except for where she has reapplied red lip gloss.

Celeste and Jake notice Veronica immediately. She looks remarkably like her mother. They have differing reactions to seeing her. Jake looks interested and Celeste looks angry.

They watch as she walks over to Logan and leans down to kiss him in greeting. They are shocked when she sits beside Logan and he puts his arm around her. Veronica and the girls obviously ask about the game and the 09er guys tell them about how Neptune has had a lot of shots but their goalie has not let any score.

When the second half starts, the girls' team cheers on their schoolmates. Both Logan and Veronica watch the game and from time to time Veronica leans closer to Logan to hear his comment or Logan smiles at her excitement when there is a good play.

Veronica and the girls sitting around her talk about how good their goalie is. Ann says, "He will probably make the all state team." The girls all nod. He has been in the difference in the game. The Neptune team is losing and should be up by three or four goals. They had possession of the ball a majority of the time.

When Neptune finally scores, Veronica jumps up with the other soccer players and cheers. Logan openly ogles her as she jumps up and down and claps. He laughs and claps for Neptune.

Logan leans in near the end of the game and says, "Mrs. Navarro left me some tamales for supper. Do you want to come over for a late supper?"

She partially turns towards him and looks up at him. He is expecting her to be excited about eating but she surprises him by answering, "Alone time with you? Count me in."

He smiles and leans down and kisses her. It is a sweet kiss full of emotions.

She turns back to the game but stays close to him.

After the game is over, Logan walks with the girls to the parking lot. He listens as she says goodbye to her friends. He walks her over to his Xterra and opens the door for her to get in. He says goodbye to his friends telling them he is going to drive Veronica home.

Friday after school

Logan arrives at the beach and the 09ers watch as Veronica pulls in beside him. He had explained to them that Veronica was going to surf with him for a while and then leave for work. He gets both their boards off the roof of his vehicle and opens the back for her to get her wet suit.

When she walks to his truck, she is carrying her bag and talking on her cell phone. As she reaches him she says, "That works for both of us," and then she says goodbye to whoever she is talking to and hangs up.

Logan leans over and kisses her hello and says, "I brought your wet suit and board."

Smiling her thanks she puts her phone in her bag and says, "That was Brenda from work. She asked if I could work for her tomorrow night and she would work for me tonight."

He immediately catches on and smiles asking, "So that means you are free to see me tonight?"

Nudging him as they stand side by side at the back of his Xterra each getting their wet suits ready, she teases, "Who said I want to spend my free night with you? Your ego is so big."

Laughing he pulls on his wetsuit and answers, "My ego is not the only big thing about me." He watches as she shakes her head at him and pulls her wetsuit on over her bikini.

He nuzzles her neck and says, "I like our alone time."

Smiling she answers, "Me too," as she leans up and puts her lips to his, going on her tip toes to deepen the contact with him.

He is pleased at her playfulness and that she likes their physical relationship as much as he does.

They stretch together at the back of the vehicle and then carry the blanket, chairs, boards and bag down to the spot where most of the 09ers are already waiting.

Looking out on the water, Logan sees that the waves are going to be good today and he watches as Dick rides a good wave in. Smiling he turns to Veronica and tells her that it looks good. She spreads out their blanket and hands him a chair to set up as she sets up the other one Logan brought for her. Logan takes the chair and sets it up and puts the cooler on the blanket and her bag next to the cooler.

Excitedly he takes her hand and says, "I'll surf with you a while and make sure you are doing OK."

She smiles up at him and leans up to kiss him for his thoughtful way. They walk out together away from the others and Logan watches as she picks a wave and attempts to stand. He gives her pointers and is impressed at her athletic ability and how she has come a long way in just one lesson.

After some time, Veronica tells Logan to head over to his friends and surf. She teases, "I will go in, sit on the beach and watch you." Putting her hand up on her forehead she dramatically says, "Such a trial."

Laughing he leans over and kisses her. He says, "Perhaps it is a good thing you are not in the drama club."

"Thanks," she says pretending to be offended. She adds, "You would be the resident expert on being a drama queen."

He starts to tell her that he can show her he is not a queen when his smile disappears. He sees that Lilly has arrived and he is worried about what they will say to Veronica when she goes to sit down on their blanket.

Looking up at him she can see his mood has changed. She asks, "What are you thinking?"

Looking at her tells her that the 09er girls can be pretty mean. He adds that they will be mean to her to impress Lilly.

"Oscar Wilde said there is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about and that is not being talked about," she quotes.

He smiles at her manner but is still worried, "They can be pretty cutting."

Veronica looks fondly at Logan and says, "I'll be Ok. I have been a real target for gossip since I started dating Josh. I am used to it." She reassures him easily, "It doesn't bother me."

He realizes that he has to accept that Veronica can handle herself. He can't completely protect her from the 09er girls. Leaning down he gives her one last kiss and tells her he will see her in a little while.

Veronica picks a wave and rides it almost all the way in. Logan watching claps for her and then waves as she waves to him when she picks up her board and wades in.

When Logan and the guys come in for a break, he sees that Veronica has pulled her wetsuit down and she is relaxed back with her sunglasses on. The 09ers girls are talking and she seems to be ignoring them.

Reaching her side, he opens the ice chest and looks at her to see if she needs a water. Seeing she does, he pulls out two waters. When he goes to pass her a water, he realizes that she is awake when she reaches out to take the water from his hand.

He twists the top off his water and takes a long drink. The waves were really good today and he is pleasantly tired. He has to admit he was uncomfortable on the water knowing that Veronica and Lilly were sitting together. He looks down at Veronica carefully wondering if the 09er girls upset her. She seems calm and relaxed.

Easing down into the chair beside her he says, "So what did I miss?"

Pulling off her sunglasses and looking at him she answers, "Not a thing really."

Frowning a little at her answer, he leans over and asks, "Were they talking about you?"

"Yes,' she waves at him absently and adds, "That is not what I meant."

He looks at her in questions and she leans in saying very quietly, "How do you spend so much time with them?"

Unsure what she is asking he questions, "What do you mean?"

She answers, obviously a little disgusted, "They didn't talk about one important thing the hour you were gone."

Logan knows what she means. He can imagine that Veronica who can't afford to buy most of the things the 09er girls take for granted was bored when they talked about the new purse, clothes, shoes or jewelry they absolutely needed. He has grown up around wealth and privilege and knows how to talk about things. He has to admit that he likes talking to Veronica because she is well read and interested in current events, other peoples' lives and thoughts. He teases, "Not everyone is blessed with my intellect and ability to debate."

His teasing works and she smiles answering, "You are a legend in your own mind."

Smiling at her quick answer he says, "Let's blow this popsicle stand. I owe you a massage."

Late Sunday Afternoon

Lynn Echolls looks out the patio door, her gaze wandering over the pool area. She can see Logan is not there. The maid said he was outside but thinks he must be in the pool house. She looks towards the pool house and is a little surprised to see Logan lying on a double lounger in the shade of the patio. Looking closer she sees that he is holding a petit girl with long blond hair in his arms. She is sleeping with her head on his shoulder and Logan is reading a paperback book. The girl was obvious reading and fell asleep. Her book is on Logan's chest. As she watches Logan looks at the girl and gently moves a piece of hair that has fallen in her face and tucks it behind her ear. Lynn looks at him closely. Her son looks like he really cares about this girl; he looks content. Lynn wonders who the girl is. The last she knew Logan was dating Lilly Kane. They must be in an off period.

Logan has gone back to reading his book making no attempt let go of the girl he is holding. He looks really comfortable with her.

Lynn opens the patio door and steps out. Logan, hearing the patio door open, looks up and sees his mother step out of the house. He smiles happily at her.

Seeing he is happy to see her, Lynn walks over and stands a couple of feet from the bottom of the lounger.

Before she can stop him, Logan moves Veronica away from him so he can get up off the lounger to greet his mother. Veronica moans a little sleepily and snuggles when he moves her. Lynn is surprised by the soft look her son has on his face when he looks at the young girl. If she didn't know how much her son loves Lilly, she would think he was in love with this tiny blond.

The blond in question opens her eyes when Logan gets out of the chair and she blinks when she sees him going over to hug his mother. Well Logan knows her as his mother, the rest of the world sees the soap and movie star, Echolls or Lynn Lester.

Logan happily hugs his mother exclaiming, "You're home. I thought you weren't coming until tomorrow."

Lynn returns her son's hug and tells him that his father is staying over a few extra days so she decided to come home today. It is obvious that Logan is happy to see his mother. She turns and says, "I didn't know you had company."

Easily Logan smiles and asks contemplatively, "Is it called company when the guest sleeps?"

Lynn smiles and Logan laughs at the look of embarrassment on Veronica's face. Logan steps towards Veronica who has gotten out of the lounger and standing there red faced. He introduces them, "Mom, I want you to meet Veronica Mars." He turns to Veronica and says, "Ronnie, this is my mother."

Veronica steps forward and puts out her hand. She says, "Pleased to meet you Mrs. Echolls."

Lynn in her heels appears to tower over the short blond. She charmingly takes Veronica's hand and encourages, "Please call me Lynn."

Logan explains that Veronica's father is the sheriff and Lynn exclaims, "He is doing such a good job."

Veronica smiles and Logan questions his mother, "We already ate. Do you want me to call Mrs. Navarro back or order you something?"

Lynn shakes her head and replies easily, "No I ate before I came home. I will have some fruit or something later. Thank you though dear." She excuses herself and heads into the house.

Logan turns to Veronica and laughs at her obvious embarrassment at being caught sleeping in his arms. He bends down and looks into her eyes and points out, "It could have been much worse."

He playfully blocks her punch towards his arm and keeps a hold of her hand pulling her into his arms. He looks down at her and says, "I'm just saying."


	12. Chapter 12

_Story so Far: AU. Logan/Lilly, Duncan/Meg are the Fab 4. Veronica is the daughter of Sheriff Mars. Logan and Lilly are on an off period and Logan sees Veronica in her soccer uniform. He is really attracted to her but she doesn't want to be an interim girl and tells him she is not an appetizer, she is the main course. As he gets to know her, he is more attracted to her. Veronica goes to tell Logan they can't date; he kisses her and she drops her ice cream. They decide to date but keep their relationship private. They grow closer emotionally and physically. However Veronica knows that soon Logan will go back to Lilly and Logan is upset she thinks she is an interim girl. They have an honest and open talk. They both agree to just enjoy what is between them as long as it lasts. Veronica has her first surfing lesson. Logan takes her to his place and looks after her. They make love and both enjoy it. _

"Stop looking at me like that," the petit blond orders in exasperation. She frowns at him as she packs up her messenger bag when the bell rings after Journalism.

Looking innocent, her boyfriend questions, "What?"

A little annoyed she explains, "With those puppy dog eyes. You know girls find it hard to resist them and you are deliberately using them against me."

He smiles at how she words her complaint. Touching his finger to his chin, he contemplates, "Mmm, maybe I should use a more hands on persuasion." Slowly and deliberately he stands and walks over to where she is standing. He completely ignores her irritated look.

Seeing his purpose, she points at him and says warningly, "No way Logan." Walking around to the other side of her chair, she keeps the chair between them and adds, "You know how I feel about sitting at lunch with your friends."

Unperturbed, he reaches across the chair and grasps her arm. Confidently he slowly pulls the chair out from between them. Quietly he points out, "I sit in the computer room with Mac and Erica and I go to dinner with your soccer team." As he talks he pulls her towards him. When she is close enough, he wraps his arms around her trapping her sideways in his arms. Purposefully he leans in and nuzzles her cheek down to her neck and smiles a little as she tries to pull away from his touch. Unerringly he finds the spot behind her ear and gently kisses and then suckles. His voice very low and sexy Logan murmurs, "It's just lunch with your boyfriend." Slowly he kisses his way up to her lips.

That is how Veronica found herself walking out onto the Quad with Logan for her first lunch with the 09ers. As they walk together, she says, "I'm mad at you."

He smiles as he wraps his arm around her pulling her into his side. He leans down and says for her ears only, "I will be more than happy to make it up to you."

A reluctant smile graces her face and she says, "You understand you won't get everything you want, don't you Echolls?"

Recognizing that although manipulation got him this far, it might be wiser to change tactics, he says, "Spending extra time with you, priceless."

When they reach his table, he sits and pulls her down to sit beside him. Looking at him half in exasperation and half in admiration she says, "You know I think you would do well in business."

He looks at her in question and she says, "Manipulating is like breathing to you especially with women. You would do well in marketing or sales or perhaps owning your own business."

Looking closely he sees that, although she is annoyed with him, she is actually being sincere. He checks, "Is that a compliment?"

"Sadly yes," she answers easily as she turns to face him. "My dad is really good at managing the sheriff's office, training the new deputies and actually catching the criminals."

Logan interjects, "The important stuff."

She smiles that he understands and says, "Yes, but he is not as good at keeping the powers that keep him in his job happy."

Immediately understanding, Logan nods and questions, "So he isn't good at kissing ass."

"Smoozing," she corrects.

He takes her hand and says, "Well he didn't have the Hollywood course on sucking up like I did."

Veronica hears the distain in his voice. Turning her hand in his she grasps his hand and points out, "I imagine that some smoozing is necessary in every job."

Frowning as he looks down at their joined hands, Logan comments bitterly, "Yeah some people take it to a new level."

Unsure what he is thinking about she ventures, "I guess the important thing is to keep a balance between treating people with respect and doing your job."

He is quiet as he thinks about what she said. She squeezes his hand and then when he looks up, she meets his eyes before she tells him, "Although you are good, you are not yet a master manipulator."

Responding to the twinkle in her eye, he asks, "Should I be afraid?"

Nodding slowly, a slow smile forms as she answers, "You should be very afraid."

His mood lightened considerably, he teases, "Oh I am."

Looking up he says to the guys who have sat at the table, "I'm starved. What's for lunch?"

Casey tells him that he ordered wraps from Xavier's. Logan nods his approval and turns to Luke asking, "How did your meeting go with the scout from the Angels?"

The group all listens as Luke tells them about what the scout said he had to do to improve his chances in the draft. John checks, "So you will probably end up playing in college first?"

Luke nods and talks about how the scout said that there were some quality coaches at the college level that would prepare him as well or better than the minor league coaches.

Interested, Veronica listens as the guys discuss the various choices that Luke has to make. She is impressed how they all care about him and she admires how hard he works to better himself at baseball. He talks about going to camps and then playing baseball again this summer to get noticed.

When the meal arrives, Casey asks Veronica if she would like chicken or beef. She looks a little puzzled and asks, "You ordered for me?"

"I always order extra just in case," he explains. She smiles sweetly at him and says, "Chicken please."

Casey hands her a chicken wrap and Logan requests the beef. Casey hands Veronica some packets of special sauce, ketchup, mustard and mayo. She takes them and then puts them between her and Logan's lunch. Logan immediately grasps a hot sauce and opens it putting it on his beef wrap. Seeing her watching him, Logan recommends the special sauce telling her it is great and that he likes the hot sauce the best.

Looking doubtful she says, "I am not sure I want to try the spiciest sauce."

"Here," he suggests, "try mine." He waves towards his lunch adding, "See if you like it or it is too spicy."

Reaching over she takes a half of his beef wrap and bites into it. He watches as she chews and swallows. She says, "It's good."

Nodding he takes it back and says, "I think that all the vegetables lessen the effect of the hot sauce."

Agreeing she picks up a hot sauce packet and opens it, putting it on her chicken.

The couple turns their attention back to the talk at the table and the guys are now talking about surfing and how the waves are supposed to be this week. They include Veronica in the conversation as she has been out surfing with them a few times. Veronica expresses her doubt that she should surf if the waves are big. She says, "I am just a beginner."

Luke reassures her that it just takes time and practice for her to get more comfortable. The guys all agree and tell her stories about their first times. Casey asks Veronica if she is going to surf with them after school.

Absently Logan answers, "She has soccer practice and then she works tonight." He puts his water down and puts his arm around her, "Maybe you could meet us after soccer practice tomorrow?"

Veronica thinks about it and agrees to go.

Logan says, "Oh that reminds me, my parents invited you over for dinner next Monday night. They will both be home on Sunday."

The guys look at Veronica and see her doubt about meeting them. Logan looks over and sees her reluctance. Before he can question her, Casey asks, "You don't want to meet Aaron and Lynn?"

Frowning she admits, "I hate meeting my boyfriend's parents."

Logan dryly comments, "Yeah I can see where most parents would disapprove of you. I mean who wants their son to date a girl who is number one in her class, a varsity soccer star, a journalist for the school paper and the Sheriff's daughter?"

The guys all smile at Logan's sarcasm. Veronica frowns a little at Logan and points out, "Well Josh's parents were worried I was going to torpedo his shot at the pros and Victor's parents thought I might stop him from going to Harvard."

Luke teases, "Yeah Logan's parents are worried you might torpedo his shot at Harvard." The guys all laugh and Logan shakes his head at them. He says, "Don't worry about my parents. They will love you." He thinks for a second and then adds, "Monday's soccer practices are always short so we could surf for a while before dinner with my parents."

Frowning Veronica says, "If I want to look like a drowned rat when I meet my boyfriend's parents."

Laughing he says, "We eat late. You will have plenty of time to shower and change before dinner."

"Oh," she says in surprise, "I didn't realize supper was so late."

Engaged in his conversation with Veronica, Logan doesn't realize that the tables around his are interested that he is taking Veronica to meet his parents.

Jennifer arrives, sees the bag from Xavier's and exclaims, "Ohhh, Please tell me you saved me a beef wrap?"

Casey smiles and hands her a wrap. Happily she takes it and reaches across the table picking up a mild sauce before she sits down beside Casey. He leans in and gives her a kiss before going back to his lunch. She opens her wrap and deftly adds the sauce. When she looks up, she smiles at Veronica and says, "Hey I heard that you are almost finished the senior presentation."

Nodding as she swallows, Veronica says, "I think I have the basics done. Mrs. D. says she will give it to the yearbook committee next week."

Pleased Jennifer exclaims, "That is so great! We will have plenty of time to tweak it before it is due in February." She adds after she takes a bite and swallows it, "I heard you got pictures of everyone."

"I hope so," the tiny blond tells her, "I got everyone on the list at least twice to be sure."

Impressed Jennifer says, "I can't wait to see it." She smiles at Veronica as she leans into Casey. When he looks down at her she asks, "Hey can we move dinner with your grandmother to 7:30 tonight? I am worried the yearbook meeting will go long."

Casey nods and tells her he will call his grandmother and let her know.

Logan leans in and whispers in her ear, "See this isn't so bad."

She looks up at her manipulative boyfriend and answers quietly as she leans into him, "I never said I didn't like everyone here."

He runs his fingers through her hair enjoying its silkiness as he listens. Nodding he reassures her, "I get it Veronica." Leaning in closer he adds, "It's a compromise. I will eat some lunches with you at the soccer table or with Mac in the computer room or at whatever table you want to sit at." Bending down to meet her gaze he finishes, "At times we will eat apart and at times you should eat with me here."

She looks up at him and he can see that she is still not certain what she should do. He leans in closer; his hand comes to rest on the back of her neck. "I just want to spend more time with you."

Touched, she agrees, "OK, we will compromise."

Smiling at her reluctance, he teases, "It's not a root canal."

Amused she teases back, "Novocain might help."

Laughing he shakes his head and leans down and kisses her.

Casey watching notices that Lilly is sitting a couple of tables over. She is ignoring Logan but Madison, Kim and Susan are looking daggers at Veronica. He looks over and sees that Logan is asking Cassidy if his new surf board arrived yet. He ponders how he actually likes this easy going Logan better.

_Dog Beach that evening_

Logan looks at Veronica and sees that she feels badly about her confession. He is honestly really surprised; he has never had a girlfriend not want to meet his parents before. Absently he looks down the beach and sees that Back Up is happily running with his tongue hanging out.

Mistaking the look on his face for upset, she quickly says, "It's just I'm not big on action movies. I mean I'm sure he was great but…" She pauses and tries again, "I saw your mom in 'Why not Paris?' and she was so good."

Really uncomfortable at Logan's continued silence, she looks over and checks that her dog is safe. He is still annoying the birds as they attempt to rest for the night on the sand. She shifts a little. When she looks back Logan is looking at the ocean so she tries again to explain, "Look, I don't see many movies so when I do go, I just pick something relaxing, like a comedy so…" She trails off when Logan looks at her. He has a strange look on his face that she can't really place.

Logan takes a deep breath and then lets it out slowly. He is not sure what to even think about what she has told him.

"I could rent a couple of his movies and watch them this weekend and then I would have at least seen a couple of them," she offers uncertainly.

Her rambling is finally stopped by Logan leaning over and kissing her passionately.

Surprised that her upset boyfriend is kissing her, Veronica is still for a moment but once her brain processes what is happening, she winds her arms around his neck and joins in.

When the kiss is over, she looks up at him in wonder as he smirks, "Supper with my parents should be interesting."

_Wednesday after school_

Veronica walks easily with a few of the players from the soccer team towards the school after practice. She listens as Beth talks about the unfair way her father lets her brother drive the car but won't lend her the car very often. She thinks he is sexist.

Veronica smiles as she thinks about how her father struggled to give her new freedoms. He was unhappy she dated Josh. He was a jock and a senior; she was only a freshman. Her suspicious father eventually warmed up to Josh though and enjoyed their conversations about sports. He was not as unhappy about her dating Victor even though he felt he was still too old for her. After all Victor was going to Harvard and was the school Valedictorian. Now he is unimpressed she is dating Logan Echolls. Veronica smiles inwardly at how her overprotective, law enforcement father is now wondering why his sensible daughter is wanting to go out with the spoiled, rich, arrogant son of two famous actors.

Veronica, engrossed in her thoughts, does not see Logan come up behind her and she shrieks in surprise as she is suddenly picked up from behind and lifted off the ground.

Her teammates smile as they watch as her boyfriend laughs at her reaction. He easily swings her up and turns her into his arms. His friends smile at Veronica's shriek of surprise and Logan's obvious happiness at seeing the petit blond.

Veronica, over her initial surprise, smiles at him but complains, "Logan, I'm all sweaty."

He immediately teases, "I like you all sweaty."

The guys laugh at the look of embarrassment on Veronica's face. She frowns down at Logan and slaps his shoulder. Logan laughs up at her and Veronica finds she can't stay mad when he looks so damn cute.

The tired girls have to smile at how Logan teases Veronica. They are getting to know him a little better since he and Veronica started dating. The 09er girls on the team knew him from before but the rest of the girls from the soccer team have gotten to know Logan since he started dating Veronica. He ate lunch with them today and he goes to their soccer games. He also goes out to dinner with them after their home games. Surprisingly, he is actually easy to talk to and asks them questions about their lives like he is really interested. He can be quite charming when you get to know him.

They have also learned that he is a very thoughtful and loving boyfriend; he is attentive to Veronica when they are together and he likes to spoil her. He left a stuffed soccer bear in her locker before the last away game with a note wishing her good luck. It was obvious she had been touched by the gift. Although they all like Veronica, they are all kind of waiting for him to go back to Lilly Kane.

Logan puts Veronica down and walks with her. He asks, "Is your dad working late again?"

Nodding she says, "He has to get some stuff ready for his quarterly report."

"Why don't I order us pizza and walk Back Up while you shower and get comfortable?" he offers.

Leaning into him she sighs happily telling him, "I'll meet you at my place."

The tall 09er leans down and kisses her briefly before he parts from her heading towards the parking lot. He walks with Luke who thanks him for waiting around to drive him home. Derek teases, "Watching the girls' soccer team stretch is not really a hardship."

Shaking his head Logan observes, "They are actually doing well this year."

Derek laughs and comments, "Better than the boys' soccer team."

Logan grimaces and says, "True."

_Friday_

Veronica walks out onto the quad half way through lunch. She waves to a few of her soccer friends and stops to say hello. After a few minutes, she walks over to where Logan is sitting at his usual table.

Casey tells Logan that Veronica is there and he turns to watch her walk over. Immediately he notices she is carrying a blue container. He rubs his hands together and says when she is close enough to hear, "Please tell me you made snickerdoodles."

She smiles at his excitement and confirms, "I did."

Obviously eager, he reaches for the cookies. Veronica moves them out of his reach and shakes her head, "Un, un. I brought them for the guys." She opens the container and passes them to Casey who greedily grabs it and takes a cookie and then passes the cookies over to Cassidy. They pass them around the table not sharing them with Logan.

Logan pouts at Veronica, "Baby why are you trying to hurt me?" The guys laugh and tease Logan that she isn't going to give him any. Soon however they are raving about the cookies and fighting over the ones remaining in the container.

Logan surprises everyone by reaching over, putting his arms around her waist and pulling her onto his lap. Veronica squeals a little in surprise. He tells her, "I prefer a different kind of sugar."

He nuzzles her neck and then kisses her. The guys are still loudly fighting over her cookies while the rest of the quad goes quiet seeing Logan and Veronica kiss.

After their kiss is over, Logan leans in and whispers in her ear, "That was way better than your snickerdoodles." He leans away and looks at her and adds, "No one else better be sampling either."

Veronica laughs outright at him. After she sobers a little she leans in and whispers in his ear, "Only you."

He puts his forehead to hers and says, "Only you."

She leans in and kisses him gently. Pulling away she looks over to where Dick is sitting across from Logan. Logan sees where she is looking and says, "Dick and Madison broke up."

"Oh," she says, "It must be an odd day." Logan smirks at her sarcasm. Veronica reaches in her bag and pulls out a small baggie of cookies. She hands them to him with a small smile. She says very quietly, "Of course I saved you some."

Logan opens the baggie and takes out a cookie eating it with obvious pleasure. While he is eating, he thinks about how his relationship with Veronica has fallen into a really comfortable routine. At times they eat lunch separately; other times he eats with her or she eats at his table. He attends the soccer team's home games and goes out with the team after to eat. Veronica surfs with him and his friends when she is not working or practicing soccer. He and Veronica go to the 09er parties as a couple. They go out on dates with her friends, his friends and alone. They are really just a regular couple; perhaps one of the most talked about couples in the school but to Logan this is the most 'normal' relationship he has ever been in. He never thought he could be in or even want to be in a relationship like this but now that he is in it, he finds he is very happy. He never realized how out of control his life was before. He never knows what mood he will find at home and his relationship with Lilly was very volatile. This break from his rollercoaster relationship with Lilly has been nice. He had not truly understood how it all wore on him.

The bell rings bringing Logan out of his thoughts. Veronica stands and Logan stands as well, taking her hand and walking easily with her into the school.

She says, "Dad says supper will be ready at six. Is that too early?"

"No but please make sure he has put his guns away before I come over," Logan begs.

Laughing she says, "That would ruin his fun."

_Friday Night_

Logan arrives at the Mars' apartment and takes a deep breath. He has been getting along pretty good with Mr. Mars; at least he thinks he has, but Veronica's father is one scary, overprotective, gun toting man. Veronica has reassured him that Josh and Victor were as disconcerted by her father as he is, but Logan doubts that the captain of the football team and the Harvard bound class Victorian would warrant as much disapproval as he might deserve.

Honestly, Logan has never met two people less interested or impressed by his wealth or his famous movie star parents as Veronica and her father. Veronica was over for dinner last week and she treated his parents like they were just his parents. She was nervous because she wanted them to approve of her dating him; not because she wanted to be near the 'stars'.

She immediately won his mother over by stopping in front of a painting in the living room and staring at it. Lynn, interested in Veronica's opinion, asked her what she thought of it.

Veronica fumbled for words finally saying, 'It's powerful!" Looking at Lynn she admitted that she doesn't know much about art, adding, "I think I could look at this and see something new every time."

Logan listening and watching the interaction between his mother and girlfriend inwardly smiles. He can see his mother is totally charmed. She takes Veronica's arm and walks with her towards the formal dining room. She tells her where she got it and how she actually met the artist.

Genuinely interested, Veronica walks with his mother listening to her story about the artist who, to Logan's surprise, was young and from New York. Veronica admitted she has never been to New York but it was on her list of places to visit.

When she met his father he had predictably tried to charm her and she had been very quiet and a little standoffish around him. When asked to call him Aaron, she immediately admitted that she was not allowed to call her friends' parents by their first names. Logan could see that his father had been really surprised that Veronica saw him as Logan's father, not Aaron Echolls. Logan looked down pretending to hold Veronica's chair to cover his smirk. Veronica wouldn't understand that while she believed she was being respectful, she was actually giving the great Aaron Echolls a shot about being old when she insisted on calling him Mr. Echolls.

During dinner, Veronica answered questions about her courses and extra curricular activities. Enthused she talked about how she and Logan were in journalism together and he was writing a weekly article for the school paper that was a favorite among the students. Lynn was predictably excited for Logan.

Later, to Logan's secret amusement, Veronica talked about how Logan was a really good surfer and was so patient when he taught her to surf. She teased her boyfriend that she has gained a whole new respect for how in shape surfers have to be. Laughing she said, "I actually thought you just stood on a board and road a wave to shore."

Logan had almost choked on his chicken as that was exactly what Aaron always said when he found out Logan was going surfing. He did not see it as a real sport. Watching his father, Logan could see that Aaron did not know what to think about Veronica's attitude. She obviously assumed her boyfriend's parents would be really supportive and interested in what Logan was doing.

Veronica never once mentioned his career but did listen dutifully when Aaron talked about a new movie he was offered.

Logan watched in amazement as his girlfriend treated his family as if they were a normal family. At one point she talked about college after graduation mentioning that Logan should probably major in English or History since he was so good at both of them.

His father had charmingly derided his grades by saying that he would likely have to buy Logan's way in and Veronica had actually frowned at his tone. Logan inwardly smiled at how disconcerted she made Aaron because he noticed her frown and realized that she disapproved of his lack of fatherly pride so he changed his tone to how he believed Logan was very smart but just did not work hard at his grades.

Pacified, Veronica had immediately agreed stating that she was a little jealous of Logan's memory and how she had to study hard to remember what she learned especially in history and science. She leaned in and teased Logan, "Imagine what your grades would be if you actually studied hard." She laughed, "I would probably be fighting it out with you for Valedictorian."

Lynn had been pleased but Aaron was not happy. Logan was a little worried that this dinner would be a step towards punishment in the near future. He hoped his father would be called back to the set soon. Still though it had been entertaining to see how Aaron was disconcerted when someone didn't fall for his charm and Hollywood personality.

Logan knocks on the door and waits for either Mr. Mars or Veronica to answer. It is funny how he calls most of his friend's parents by their first names, but he calls Veronica's dad, Mr. Mars. He wouldn't even be comfortable calling him whatever his first name is.

Logan smiles as he hears Mr. Mars firmly tell Back Up to sit. When the door opens Back Up obviously wants to rush at Logan but is waiting for a command. Logan can see that Veronica's father is actually doing well with the normally unruly puppy's training.

Logan smiles at Mr. Mars and comments, "Veronica is right that you are a genius training dogs.

Laughing Keith Mars says, "He's going to be a good one. He has lots of energy and he really loves Veronica."

Nodding Logan has to agree. Back Up for all his puppy antics really does love his owner.

When Mr. Mars gives Back Up the safe command, he rushes over to be petted by and greet Logan. Keith meanwhile walks towards the kitchen to check on supper. Following, Logan tells him, "Something smells good."

Veronica coming out of the bedroom area makes a show of smelling the air and sighs happily, "It's lasagna."

Laughing at her ecstatic expression, Keith teases, "Veronica, you will have to eat salad along with the lasagna. I only made one pan."

Logan smothers his laughter when he sees the annoyed expression on his girlfriend's face. Although she is slender and tiny, she doesn't pick at her food. She eats enough for most men.

During supper, Mr. Mars mentions that he heard from the Chief today. He tells Veronica that David, his oldest grandson, started playing hockey. Keith describes how the Chief showed him a picture in all his gear.

Smiling Veronica says, "He is a proud grandpa!"

Keith nods in agreement. After a short pause, he reaches over and puts his hand over Veronica's on the table. She looks up at him in question and he tells her, "Derek's daughter started chemotherapy this week."

Veronica is visibly upset. She says, "Marie's only ten."

"I know," he replies looking sad himself. He squeezes her hand.

There is a short pause and Veronica says, "Dad, what are her chances?"

Sighing he says, "Chief says it's an aggressive cancer so I guess that means that there is a greater chance it will respond to the chemotherapy." He pauses and adds, "I signed us up for next Monday night for bringing them supper and dessert."

Veronica seeing Logan's puzzled look explains that when someone in the police or firefighter department has an illness in the family, they all take turns being responsible for one supper. She adds, "That way the family doesn't have to worry about cooking while they are dealing with the illness."

Logan nods his understanding. He is again taken with how the fire and sheriff's department are a family. He suggests, "Why don't you ask Mrs. Navarro to make her tamales for them?"

Immediately excited she bounces a little in her seat saying, "That is a great idea! I will call her and ask her tomorrow." She smiles happily at Logan and asks, "Do you think she will make her double chocolate chip cookies as well?"

Smiling at her enthusiasm, Logan says, "If you ask her, she will."

Veronica turns to her father and tells him how great Mrs. Navarro's cooking is. She describes the cookies and both men smile indulgently at her love of food.

Looking at her father she asks, "Do you think I should go and visit Marie?"

"Why don't you call her mother and ask her?" he advises. "Cynthia will tell you what would work out best for Marie."

Immediately Veronica agrees, "I will."

Logan watching sees the support that Veronica's father provides and how he has honest, open conversations with her. Logan doesn't know Marie but he met Derek when he volunteered with Veronica. Derek seemed like a really nice guy. He is kind of sad to hear his daughter is so sick. He is also impressed at how Veronica quickly agreed to help.

Veronica says, "Since you cooked Dad, Logan and I will do the dishes." Happily Keith agrees and says, "I will go and watch the news then."

Logan picks up his plate and carries it over to the sink. He has never done dishes before. This should be interesting.


	13. Chapter 13

_Story so Far: AU. Logan/Lilly, Duncan/Meg are the Fab 4. Veronica is the daughter of Sheriff Mars. Logan and Lilly are on an off period and Logan sees Veronica in her soccer uniform. He is really attracted to her but she doesn't want to be an interim girl and tells him she is not an appetizer, she is the main course. As he gets to know her, he is more attracted to her. Veronica goes to tell Logan they can't date; he kisses her and she drops her ice cream. They decide to date but keep their relationship private. They grow closer emotionally and physically. However Veronica knows that soon Logan will go back to Lilly and Logan is upset she thinks she is an interim girl. They have an honest and open talk. They both agree to just enjoy what is between them as long as it lasts. Veronica has her first surfing lesson. Logan takes her to his place and looks after her. They make love and both enjoy it._

Days turn into weeks and soon Logan and Veronica have been dating two months. It is a calm and happy time in 09er land. Although it is not unusual for the king and queen to be apart for a few months, this time Logan is not sitting at the same table as Lilly and he is not responding to her jibes about her new lovers or their prowess in bed. The students are enjoying the calm when their leaders are not passionately dating or viciously arguing.

The rest of the school notices that this interim relationship for Logan is different. They have grown used to seeing Logan and Veronica together; they kiss and hold hands like a normal couple and they only date each other. They are just not together all the time. At times Logan sits with Veronica and the soccer team; at times he is in the computer room with Veronica, Mac and Erica. Other days she sits at his table in the center of the Quad. Inexplicitly there are days they sit apart. Both of them seem happy with the relationship.

One beautiful, sunny California day, the students are enjoying their lunch in the Quad when the guys at Logan's table talk about a restaurant they went to after surfing that had great ribs. Veronica looks up from inspecting her deli sandwich and comments that she could eat her weight in ribs. Dick immediately teases her that all of them could out eat her.

Logan smiles as Veronica tilts her head at Dick and then outright challenges them all to a chicken wing eating contest. The guys all laugh believing that Dick who is known for his ability to eat would have no trouble out eating the tiny blond. They have all felt a little sick after watching him eat.

Even Logan says, "Sorry babe, I have to say that Dick will be able to out eat you."

"Firstly," she shakes her finger at her smart mouthed boyfriend and says, "Don't call me babe and secondly," she turns and points at the guys adding, "The bet was that you could all out eat me."

She puts her hand on her hip and challenges, "Put your money where your mouth, or in this case your stomach is."

The guys hoot at her attitude and Logan has to laugh; his girlfriend can be a lot of fun. The guys join in the bet confident that they will win. They all agree to contribute $100.00 each and she bargains with weekly cookies for the next three months.

Having tasted her snicker doodles, the guys all immediately agree. Dick, sure of winning, gleefully rubs his hands together. He tells them he knows the perfect place and he will happily pick up the tab for the wings. There is a lot of discussion on when they can all be there and it is finally agreed on next Tuesday night. Veronica is not working and she can be there after soccer practice. The guys can meet her after surfing and Luke can be there after he works out for baseball.

Veronica listens to the bet and just smiles serenely. She immediately gets Peter and Doug's girlfriends to agree to be judges at the contest. They laughingly agree although both of them can't imagine that tiny Veronica could win.

Logan leans in and whispers in her ear, "Private bet?"

Intrigued she turns to face him. With their faces only a few inches apart she questions, "What do you have in mind?" He puts his mouth to her ear and tells her what he wants and what he is willing to do for her if the guys lose. Although she blushes a little, she nods in agreement to the bet.

The guys watch the interaction between Logan and Veronica and see her blush. Although they know that Logan will go back to Lilly when she wants him back, they all think Veronica is pretty cool. She is definitely hot but she is easy going and a lot of fun. She is different from the 09er girls they usually date and most of them are now thinking that dating a girl who is not high maintenance has its benefits.

After school Logan stands beside Veronica's locker and asks, "What are you doing after soccer?"

"I am going over to visit Marie. I am supposed to help her with her math homework," she answers easily.

Over the time they have been dating, Logan has grown to admire how his girlfriend works all the angles. She originally asked Mrs. Navarro to make her tamales for Marie and when Marie loved them, she talked to Mrs. Navarro about taking over the dates Veronica and her father were supposed to provide supper for Marie and her family. In return Veronica agreed to tutor one of Mrs. Navarro's grandchildren. Logan arranged for the Echolls' driver to deliver the food to Marie's home so Veronica doesn't have to worry about getting the food to Marie.

Logan puts his forehead to hers and quietly comments, "I guess that is a good enough reason to miss surfing." Since he taught her to surf, Veronica has been coming with him a couple of times a week. It is harder for her with her busy schedule to fit in time but she has managed it. He lifts his hand and gently brushes the hair back from her forehead, "Well if Mrs. Navarro's cooking doesn't tempt Marie to eat, I don't know what will."

Veronica nods her agreement. She looks sad for a second and Logan can see that she is worried about Marie. He is impressed that Veronica has added seeing Marie to her already busy schedule. Veronica is an only child and she really hit it off with Marie. She thinks of her like a younger sister. So far the news has been good for Marie. She seems to be responding to the chemotherapy.

Attempting to elevate her mood, he warns, "Do not take all of Mrs. Navarro's baking today."

Laughing she teases, "Well she did say she would send supper and dessert for my dad since I am eating a late dinner with a handsome man who is a really good kisser."

Pouting he asks her, "You wouldn't leave me without my favorite treat would you?"

A little indignant she points out that he said that he preferred her kisses to cookies. He smiles and answers, "But Mrs. Navarro's are double chocolate."

Pretending to be upset she says, "See if I bake anymore cookies for you."

He wraps his arm around her while he leans down to whisper in her ear, "As long as you don't withhold my favorite sugar."

"Well I am not going to miss out on your kisses because you are a bad boyfriend," she tells him.

Turning her so her back is to her locker, he leans in and whispers in her ear, "You like when I am a bad boy, don't you?"

While he is nuzzling her neck she says, "I do, I really do." She wraps her arms around his neck and pulls his head down to kiss him.

By the following day news of Veronica's bet with the 09er boys has circulated around the school. In their usual over indulgent manner, the 09er guys have started taken bets on the contest. The girls on the soccer team immediately pooled their money together and bet on Veronica. They have seen first hand how much she can eat. However since Veronica is so tiny and the 09er guys are so much bigger than her, the odds are now ten to one for the guys.

Thursday at the soccer game, Keith Mars hears about the contest from Logan. He immediately opens his wallet and pulls out a few twenties to bet on Veronica. Amused Logan tells Keith, "She can eat a lot but Dick will definitely out eat her. Luke is a baseball player and eats a lot of protein each day." He adds, "Peter is an offensive lineman on the football team and I know I can out eat her. The weak link will be Doug and he weighs about fifty pounds more than Veronica."

Smirking Mr. Mars hands the money to Logan and says, "I will put the winnings in her college fund." He adds as he looks back at the game, "Every little bit helps."

Inwardly shaking his head at the Sheriff's attitude, Logan texts Derek to update him with the bet. Derek is surprised that Veronica's father put one hundred dollars on Veronica but he shrugs and adds it to his book.

Logan enjoys the game and is excited that Neptune won. Veronica and the girls are in good moods when they go out for pizza after the game. Logan goes along and he has to laugh at how sure the girls are that Veronica will win the bet. He and the other boyfriends around the table defend the guys and it is a lively, fun time.

Logan is actually pleasantly surprised at how much he enjoys going out with the soccer team. Sure there are some hot looking girls on the team but he likes how they are all good friends and how they are happy when someone else on the team succeeds. Today Sharon was voted player of the game by the team. She is their goalie and during the game she had to stop a lot of shots. She is obviously thrilled at the attention and is excited to get to pick the hairstyle for the next game. Her boyfriend Carl is a pretty nice guy and he is proud of her.

He doesn't tell Veronica but Logan actually kind of likes how he is treated as part of the group when he is out with the soccer team. He can see that they are careful not to offend him as he is still king of the 09ers but they treat him more like regular teenager than most people do. He will always be the spoiled, rich son of Lynn and Aaron Echolls but with the team he is also Veronica's boyfriend and another student at the school.

What Veronica doesn't tell Logan is that around her soccer friends, he is less of an arrogant jackass and they are responding positively to his natural charm and charisma. He is actually very funny and interesting when you get to know him.

_Tuesday: The day of the big contest_

Veronica and the 09er guys involved have been taking a lot of teasing about the bet. Naturally the guys are still very confident that they will win. Dick is especially excited as he loves Veronica's snicker doodles and is really looking forward to eating them for three months. As a bonus with all the money the 09ers will win in the bets with the other students, they are going to have a huge blowout party. It is win/win for Dick.

Veronica has remained calm and quiet throughout the buildup to Tuesday night. Although she cannot believe how big a deal the 09er guys made their bet, she is excited to be eating wings and having fun.

Walking with Logan towards her locker on Tuesday morning, Veronica looks up at him and questions, "Logan?"

Pulling his attention from the corridor in front of them to his girlfriend, Logan answers, "Yes." Today his tiny girlfriend is wearing a short brown skirt with and an orange and pink patterned blouse. Her hair is pulled back with a bright pink hairband. She looks beautiful and fresh. Logan lets his eyes drift over her figure as he waits for her to tell him what she wants.

Squeezing the hand she is holding Veronica asks, "When..." She pauses and changes it to, "If I win the bet tonight…"

Smiling at how she is wording her question, he responds, "What?" When she continues to hesitate, he asks, "Are you worried I will be mad if you win?"

Shaking her head she explains, "No, I am a little worried that the guys will be upset when I win." She adds, "You have put a lot of money on the line with all the bets."

Amused by her confident manner he says, "Veronica, the money we bet is not that much to us. Don't worry."

Veronica can tell he is really sure the guys will win. She mentally shrugs and tells him, "Well I hope you aren't grossed out by watching me eat platters of chicken wings."

Now laughing Logan assures the tiny blond that he will not be upset or grossed out. He prods, "Are you trying to get out of the bet?"

"I wouldn't dream of it," she tells her confident boyfriend.

He lets go of her hand and wraps his arm around her shoulder. Pulling her close he leans down and whispers, "Good because I am really looking forward to you paying up for our private bet."

Shaking her head at his obnoxious manner, Veronica smiles a little as she thinks about what Logan will have to do for her when she wins.

Logan noticing her small smile has to admire her attitude. She is really something else taking on the guys in an eating contest.

Lilly walking down the hall from her meeting with Weevil is unsettled. He is becoming a problem. He is like most of the men she has been with and thinks that he is her only guy. Now the exciting and dangerous biker believes Logan is out of the picture and she should be willing to let the school know about them. Why do guys always want to stake a claim on her? She doesn't want to be serious; she wants to be free to explore and have fun.

Looking up the hall she sees Logan walking with Veronica. Quickly she steps into a doorway and watches the couple walk by. He is holding her hand and walking beside her. Lilly looks closely at his face and sees a look of true indulgence as her ex-boyfriend listens to whatever Veronica is telling him. Veronica looks indignant; she is probably upset about some injustice that she must right. Logan obviously finds her amusing and Lilly can see he is really fond of her; it shows on his face. As he walks away from Lilly's viewpoint, he gently pulls Veronica close and wraps his arm around her shoulder in support. Veronica puts her arm around Logan's waist and they walk together. As Lilly watches, Logan leans in, whispers in Veronica's ear and then kisses her temple.

Watching them walk away, Lilly actually has to admire Veronica. She is very smart and cunning with her men. She gets them to chase her and then when they catch her, she plays it cool pretending to give them lots of freedom while they date her. It is a good way to hold your man; let him feel like he won you, that you believe that what he does is important and you will give him the space to be with the guys and enjoy you as well. Josh thought she loved football, Victor bragged about how he and Veronica studied together and now Logan actually thinks that Veronica likes to surf with him.

Weevil smugly told her she lost her white boy; Logan wasn't waiting for her this time. Lilly knows he is wrong. She is confident in the hold she has over Logan; he will come back to her when she is ready.

She is just not ready right now. She likes seeing Weevil on the sly; it is enthralling to meet him knowing that if they get caught, it would upset her parents and the 09ers. She also likes secretly meeting her other guy; it would really cause a huge public scandal if they got caught. It is all very exciting and fun.

Scornfully Lilly thinks about how the 09er guys think Veronica is great. They think she makes Logan happy. Lilly takes one last look at Logan and Veronica before heading up the hallway towards her next class. Veronica landed Josh, Victor and now Logan; she is obviously manipulative, smart and must be pretty good in bed. It isn't wise to underestimate her. It might be time to have a talk with Veronica Mars.

At ten pm on Tuesday night, Veronica looks at Logan and says, "Can we stop for ice cream on the way home?" She smirks at her boyfriend adding, "Perhaps strawberry cheesecake in a waffle cone with whipped cream. I feel like celebrating."

The guys all groan as she stands up and picks up her messenger bag. She turns to the guys and says, "Night boys. It's been fun! We should do this again sometime." She gives them the horn sign. The two women judges laugh at the look on the guys' faces as Dick pulls out his wallet to pay for the food.

Logan, resigned to the loss, salutes his friends and says, "See ya." He looks down at his girlfriend and sees that she really upped her game tonight. He knew she could eat but she kept up with the guys and seemed to still have room for more. Finally Luke and Doug couldn't eat anymore and called it quits. Logan has to admit that he doesn't want to eat anymore either. Veronica didn't really see the bet as important; she just wanted to have fun. She enjoyed the teasing and the conversation as she ate.

Veronica walks to towards the door of the restaurant with him. Leaning into her boyfriend Veronica comments happily, "Great wings, great drinks and great company. Could this night get any better?"

Wrapping his arm around her, Logan points out, "Not to mention winning the bet, humiliating two guys and getting $500?"

Smiling openly she sighs contentedly, "That was just the icing on the cake. I had fun."

Luke watching Veronica leave with Logan says a little incredulously, "If I hadn't been here myself, I would not have believed it. She must have a hollow leg."

The guys nod in agreement. They grumble about the money they lost to Veronica and on the betting about the contest. Disappointed, Dick shares, "I was really looking forward to the blowout we were going to have with the money we won." He frowns at Luke and Doug stating, "We would have won if it wasn't for you pussies."

Doug looks a little pale and he holds his abdomen as he tells his friends, "I feel like I am going to be sick." Peter is not pushing the issue as he doesn't feel that well either. He really doesn't know how much longer he could have kept up. She looked like she could keep going but stopped when she obviously defeated two of the guys. The thing is, she never left the table so they know she didn't go to the restroom to throw up. She just ate more than them; plain and simple.

Veronica as she gets in the car looks back at her boyfriend. She gloats a little, "I haven't forgotten our private bet."

Logan smiles at her manner knowing he would be openly teasing her if he won. He leans in to kiss her responding, "I always pay my debts." Nuzzling her neck he adds his voice a little muffled, "I will be taking my time pleasuring you so perhaps our date Saturday night would be the best time for me to pay up."

"It is something to look forward to," she agrees as she closes her eyes and enjoys her boyfriend's attentions.

For the next few days the 09er guys take a lot of teasing as they pay the few students who bet on Veronica. The girls' soccer team is ecstatic. They start planning their soccer party with their winnings. Mac and Erica happily take their winnings privately thanking Veronica for the easy money. Mac can now afford the new video card for her computer and Erica has her eye on a new dress. Meg was the only 09er who bet on Veronica. She happily tucks her money away in her purse and as she walks towards her locker, she gives the horn sign to Veronica who returns it and smiles at her friend. Logan just shakes his head at Meg who smiles at him.

Meg is still unhappy how she was treated by her long term ex-boyfriend Duncan but Logan and Lilly have ensured that she is welcome in the top 09er group. Being friends with Veronica means that Meg is included in the soccer team activities and more importantly Veronica set her up on a date with Leo D'Amato. Meg thought he was handsome and caring when he dated Veronica and he had been attracted to how sweet and loving Meg was when he met her.

Last week they double dated with Veronica and Logan. Logan was unhappy about the double date until Meg pointed out that Leo would get to see how happy Veronica is with Logan. It turned out to be fun as Leo plays in a band so they went and heard his band play. Logan got to dance with Veronica and watch as Leo was obviously attracted to Meg.

Since Duncan decided that he would not get back with Meg, Logan was actually happy that Meg was moving on. Both Logan and Lilly talked to Duncan and accepted that he doesn't want to end up like his parents and he wants to be single until he is finished college. Logan is not pleased with how his best friend treated his long term girlfriend but he also thinks that if Duncan is unsure, it is better if he does something about it now. Veronica thinks less of Duncan but she has elected to stay out of it knowing Logan cares about Meg and is looking after her.

_A week later_

Lilly Kane struts down the hall accompanied by her ever present posse of Madison and Kim. Her long hair flows freely, her make up is perfect and her outfit costs more than most of the students there will pay for clothes for a year. She is confident and comfortable in her role as most popular girl and queen of the 09ers.

The students open a clear path for her not wanting to get on her bad side. She can socially ruin you.

Right now she is on a mission. She is headed to the locker of one Veronica Mars; it is past time they had a talk.

The students in the hall where the M lockers reside see the look of purpose on Lilly's face and see her headed towards Veronica. They all hang around instead of heading to their next class. The upcoming confrontation between Logan Echolls' ex girlfriend and his current girlfriend is going to be totally gossip worthy. They want to be there first hand. Most of them pull out their cell phones in anticipation of catching the whole scene on video.

Lilly stops in front of Veronica's locker and loudly exclaims, "Veronica Mars."

The petit blond is exchanging books from her messenger bag to her locker. She looks over her shoulder and calmly answers, "Lilly."

She turns back to her locker and gets a book out placing it in her bag.

Knowing that this is going to be a public altercation, Lilly attempts to get control. She raises her voice even more and puts her hands on her hips in anger, "You think the guys you date love you and want to marry you." Her voice is scornful.

"Do I?" Veronica answers quietly her eyebrow raised in question.

Lilly sees that Veronica is not intimidated by her anger. Madison steps in and says, "Josh was bored with you. He laughed about you while he was with me."

Kim chimes in, "Yes and I spent a lot of romantic nights with Victor last year."

Sighing over what she thinks is a ridiculous conversation, Veronica turns and looks at the three 09er girls. Tilting her head a little in thought she points out, "Since it would have hurt more to find out about these things while I was dating Josh and Victor, I am guessing that this conversation is actually about Logan."

Madison and Kim are taken aback. They expected Veronica to get upset or cry, not ask about Logan.

Lilly steps close to Veronica and spits out, "Logan is using you. Everyone knows he is waiting for me to take him back."

To everyone's surprise Veronica doesn't move back or look uncomfortable. She looks at Lilly and asks, "I doubt that you care if Logan is using me. Why are we really having this conversation?"

For a second Lilly looks confused. She had not expected Veronica to be so relaxed and she definitely didn't expect her to ask her why she is upset. She uses her height advantage to lean over her and she tells her opponent, "Just trying to save you some embarrassment when Logan drops you."

Veronica calmly reaches back and shuts her locker. She turns back to face Lilly again and quietly says, "Thank you for your concern." She steps around Lilly and adds, "In the meantime I have Chemistry and Mr. Woo hates when students are late."

As she passes Madison and Kim she says, "Madison, Dick is aware that you cheat on him but Kim, do you realize that you just admitted that you had sex with Victor while you were dating John?"

She sees the look of upset on Kim's face. John broke up with his last girlfriend because she cheated on him. He will be upset when he hears about Kim and Victor. Veronica walks calmly down the hall towards her chemistry class.

She ignores the students watching and the ones already texting on their cell phones. By the time Veronica gets to Mr. Woo's classroom, most of the student body knows about her 'talk' with the Neptune Mean Girls or are in the process of learning about the discussion.

Logan, sitting in English, gets a lot of texts about the Mean Girls vs. Veronica. He opens one of the video links immediately. With a feeling of dread he sees his ex-girlfriend stand in front of his current girlfriend with her hands on her hips. Lilly can be a real bitch when she is upset and Logan can see she is not happy. He watches carefully and is instantly pissed off when it becomes apparent that the 09er girls are trying to hurt Veronica by telling her that both Josh and Victor cheated on her. When Veronica doesn't get upset and asks them if this is really about Logan, he is impressed by her calm manner and her ability to get to the heart of the matter. He almost wants to cheer for her.

However when Lilly tells Veronica that he is using her and will leave her when she wants him back, Logan's positive feelings about how Veronica is handling herself evaporate. He listens as Veronica asks Lilly why they are really having this conversation. Logan can see Lilly is a little upset at how unaffected Veronica is acting about the whole situation. When the video is over, Logan scrolls through his messages and sees that Veronica has not sent him a text.

Upset he closes his phone and puts it away as the teacher starts the class. He knows his classmates and friends are looking at him to see his reaction to the latest gossip but he keeps his face calm as he thinks about what he has seen and heard.

It is clear to Logan that Lilly was trying to put Veronica in her place. Thinking about it, he doesn't understand why Lilly would stake her claim to him now? He knows her better than anyone and he believes that she is not ready to take him back. Frustrated, Logan decides that Lilly would like him to be put in a box when she doesn't want him and she can take him out of the box when she is bored and wants him again. What she doesn't want is for him to put any demands on their relationship; certainly he can't be hurt or upset at how she treats him. He is to be a good boyfriend when she wants him; then be quiet and stay out of her way when she wants someone else. He thinks that his ex-girlfriend can be a selfish bitch at times.

He looks over and sees that John is also upset. The leader of the 09ers thinks about how Veronica handled the encounter with Lilly. What most 09ers don't realize is that Veronica is not a shrinking violet. They don't know her that well and since she is studious, small and stays with her friends, they think she will back away from conflict. In reality, she is strong and she will take you on. She made Lilly seem like a bitch by staying calm and walking off before the confrontation got ugly. With her comment to Madison that Dick knows she has other guys, she pointed out that Madison is a slut. Then her parting shot to Kim effectively told the school that if Kim was telling the truth about being with Victor last year, she is admitting she fooled around on John. Kim looks like a cheater and an idiot for admitting it out loud. By the look on John's face, Miss Kim has some explaining to do and it may not be enough as she has really publicly embarrassed John.

Logan wonders how Veronica feels about the conversation. He knows she hates to be the center of attention and gossip and the confrontation with the Neptune Mean Girls effectively put her back in the glare of the spotlight.

It turns out Logan doesn't see Veronica or talk for the rest of the school day. He texts her couple of times and she doesn't answer right away. When she does text him back, he is surfing and doesn't get the text right away. When he texts her back, she is working and doesn't answer until her break.

Logan is at home and actually working on his homework when he gets her text that she is on her way home. He texts her asking her to call him when she gets safely home. He works on his homework while waiting for her to call but inside he is worried about how this will affect his relationship with her.

When he gets her call, he immediately answers, "Ronnie. How was work?"

"It was OK," she easily answers. After a short pause she asks, "How was surfing?" Her tone of voice seems to be normal so Logan tells her about the waves and how he is still practicing the new turn he learned. Veronica sighs a little and says, "I envy how good you are at surfing. I still have so much to learn."

Really thrilled she likes to surf so much he tells her she has really picked it up quickly and she will soon surpass him. She snorts not believing him but she is pleased that he thinks she is doing well. Truthfully she likes to surf and wouldn't mind doing it more.

The 09er guys are really impressed at how good she has become. She can actually surf with them now. The guys have met girls who surf but none of them have ever had a girlfriend who enjoys the sport with them.

Although their 09er girlfriends talks disparagingly about Veronica's pathetic attempt to keep Logan interested by learning to surf and how her hair looks awful after surfing, the guys privately think she looks hot in her wetsuit and they wouldn't mind having a girlfriend that they could share their love of surfing with. The guys like to travel to Mexico, LA and Hawaii to surf. It would be great to have a girlfriend that joined them and didn't sulk every time they wanted to go surfing.

During a pause in their conversation, Logan asks Veronica how she is feeling about her conversation with Lilly.

There is a short silence as Veronica thinks about how she wants to word her thoughts. She then says, "Well it doesn't really affect our relationship."

Surprised at the direction of her thoughts he checks, "You aren't upset with me?"

He hears her sigh and then say, "Well I would rather not have to deal with her and all the gossip but it isn't really your fault she got possessive."

Logan thinks about her comment and has to agree that Lilly was just claiming him for when she wanted him down the road. In the past he was pleased and a little hopeful when Lilly put his interim girl in her place. It made him feel like he was important to her in the long run.

With Veronica it is different. He is upset that Lilly would try and hurt Veronica. Veronica is not using him; she is really just being a good girlfriend. She doesn't deserve Lilly's rudeness.

To Logan's way of thinking, Lilly's confidence that she can fool around on him, publicly humiliate him and then just assume that after a few months she could snap her fingers and he would go back to her is really kind of degrading and embarrassing. For the first time Logan decides that he is not going to be treated like Lilly's dog. He has a chance at a real relationship with Veronica. Honestly he hasn't thought much about Lilly since he started dating Veronica. He has had fun and he feels good.

He comes back to Veronica's voice, "We have been open from the beginning that when you wanted to get back with Lilly, we would stop seeing each other."

Logan asks, "Veronica, what if I wanted to change our agreement?"


	14. Chapter 14

_Story so Far: AU. Logan/Lilly, Duncan/Meg are the Fab 4. Veronica is the daughter of Sheriff Mars. Logan and Lilly are on an off period and Logan sees Veronica in her soccer uniform. He is really attracted to her but she doesn't want to be an interim girl and tells him she is not an appetizer, she is the main course. As he gets to know her, he is more attracted to her. Veronica goes to tell Logan they can't date; he kisses her and she drops her ice cream. They decide to date but keep their relationship private. They grow closer emotionally and physically. However Veronica knows that soon Logan will go back to Lilly and Logan is upset she thinks she is an interim girl. They have an honest and open talk. They both agree to just enjoy what is between them as long as it lasts. Veronica has her first surfing lesson. Logan takes her to his place and looks after her. They make love and both enjoy it. Time goes by and soon they have been dating a few months. It has been a revelation for Logan to date Veronica. He realizes he is actually really happy with her. _

_The next morning_

Lilly walking down the hall towards her locker thinks about her fight with Weevil. He was very upset and very vocal about her talk with Veronica yesterday. He didn't understand why she would stake a claim on Logan after all this time had passed. Weevil openly told her that she had been 'seeing' him for months; long before she even broke up with Logan. He told her that he couldn't believe she would go back to the rich, white boy.

Frustrated, she fingers the ring he gave her in her pocket. It is small but it was his mother's. She could see that it meant a lot to him. He thinks their relationship has progressed to the point of her wearing his mother's ring. The surprising thing is there is a part of her that is thrilled to be loved by Eli. She is not sure what to think or to say to him. His confession of love has really thrown her.

She looks up and sees Logan standing in front of her. "What do you want?" she snaps.

Quietly he answers, "Lil, we need to talk."

_Lunchtime_

Logan leans on the locker next to Veronica's. He has his shoulder on the locker and he is facing his girlfriend.

Veronica looks up when she senses that someone is standing there and smiles when she sees it is Logan. He looks very handsome today. He is wearing his usual tight jeans which she has to admit she loves. What pleases her the most today is that he is wearing a soft grey t-shirt with a deep green shirt over it. Green is a good color for him; it seems to bring out grey flecks in his eyes and his tan looks even more pronounced.

Logan notices her perusal and has to smile. He likes that she is attracted physically to him. What he likes the most is that she always looks at more than his physical appearance. He waits knowing that she will look at his face and make eye contact to see how he is. Sure enough she looks up at him and meets his gaze.

Between them today is his assertion that he wants to change their relationship. They are both a little uncomfortable with the uncertainty that comes with their agreement to 'talk' about their relationship after her soccer practice.

She puts her last book in her bag and leans against her locker facing her boyfriend. She gently teases, "I am thinking of telling the track coach that I am too busy to be on the team this year."

Puzzled, he asks, "Really?"

Nodding solemnly she tells him, "I love soccer but sometimes during practice I think about how I could be at the beach surfing with you; looking at you in your wet suit…" Her voice trails off as she looks up at her boyfriend seductively.

He smirks and she puts her hand on his chest gently caressing him through his soft t-shirt. "Imagine how I will feel having to go to track practice when I don't even really like it."

Touched by her admission that she wants him and likes to spend time with him, Logan reaches up and gently caresses her cheek with the back of his fingers. He responds, "I would like nothing better than for you to spend every minute with me." Running his hand behind her head he gently kneads her neck and adds, "I understand you are busy. I am OK with it."

She nods and says, "I know. It is just sometimes I wish I had more free time to be with you."

He leans in and kisses down her cheek to her ear and hums, "Mmmm, me too."

Logan stands and says, "Come on, I'll walk you to lunch."

A few minutes later Veronica sits in the computer room with Mac and Erica. They are looking at her and she can read the worry and surprise in their faces. She knows how they feel. She is surprised and a little worried herself.

Erica tentatively checks, "Logan actually told you he is not going to get back with Lilly?" She pauses and adds, "He wants to give your relationship a real shot?"

Veronica nods and says, "He called me last night and we talked about my conversation with Lilly yesterday. I told him that I was not happy about being involved in a big scene with his ex girlfriend but that it didn't affect us because we agreed to be together for fun until he wanted to go back to Lilly."

The two girls nod and listen closely to their friend and as she continues, "Then he asked what would happen if he wanted to change the rules?"

Her two friends look at each other and then back at her. Veronica can see they don't really know what to say. Mac finally tells her, "You know when you started dating Logan we told you that you might end up marrying him someday?"

Veronica nods. Mac continues, "We were just kidding about that."

The joke lightens the mood a little and Veronica gives her friends a little smile. Curious Erica asks, "What did you say when he told you he was through with Lilly?"

Veronica looks at her sandwich and then takes a bite. After she chews it she admits, "I didn't know what to say so I told him we would talk about it after soccer practice today.

_In the Quad_

Logan sits at lunch with Duncan. He leans in and asks, "DK, are you going surfing with us after school?"

Shaking his head Duncan tells his friend, "No I have an editors' meeting for newspaper after school.

Looking around to make sure they will not be overheard Logan confides, "I need to talk to you today."

Raising his head from perusing his lunch, Duncan looks at his friend. He questions, "Is something wrong?"

Immediately shaking his head Logan answers, "No, but it is something you should know."

"OK," Duncan agrees, "How about we go to Eddie's for supper?"

Pleased that his best friend is so willing to make time for him, Logan nods, "I haven't been there for a long time." He adds, "I would love one of their mushroom bacon burgers."

Smiling Duncan says, "I will drop by the beach when I am done with my meeting."

They both listen as Luke talks about the new pitch he is working on. It is good to see him so positive and excited.

_After lunch_

The tall son of two movie stars waits for Meg outside the music room after lunch. A few times a week she has vocal practice. Logan knows that it is easier for Meg not to see Duncan. Although she is now dating the deputy, it has to hurt to see the guy she dated for years flirt with other girls.

Walking out of the music room Meg smiles easily when she sees Logan is waiting for her. She loves him; all seventy two dysfunctional inches of him. He has remained a loyal friend even though she and his best friend have broken up. Meg is especially touched at how Logan makes time for her and how he supports her emotionally; he finds her and talks to her every day at school. When she has lunch in the Quad, she sits at the soccer table with the girls or at Logan's table with him. At 09er functions, he always finds her and sits with her or dances with her. His obvious closeness with her has ensured that most of the school treats her with respect. She knows that after Duncan broke up with her, she could have been teased and mistreated. Logan has been clear that she is important to him and if he catches anyone being mean to her, he will deal with it. Meg knows that Logan has talked to Dick about how he wants her to be treated. Dick came up to her and apologized for treating her badly after Duncan broke up with her. Although Madison is still a bitch, Dick no longer teases her about ... well anything.

Meg walks over to Logan and says, "You look very handsome today."

He smiles genuinely at her and puts his arm around her walking her towards her locker. He answers, "I know." She laughs and gently elbows him in the side for his arrogance.

Squeezing her shoulder lightly he teases, "We both look fabulous."

Meg looks up at Logan and sees that this visit has a purpose. She leans into him and asks, "Is there something on your mind Logan?"

"There is," he confirms as he meets her gaze. He pulls her into a closed doorway turning her to face him. After ensuring that they would not be overheard he says, "Meggie, I wanted to tell you that I decided I am not going to go back to Lilly."

Meg has found the whole Lilly/Logan/ Veronica situation difficult. She is friends with all three of them. One or more of them is going to get hurt and it is hard to watch and worry.

"Wow," she comments after a surprised pause, "I wasn't expecting that."

He snorts a little and says, "Neither was I."

He reaches over and puts his hand on her shoulder and explains, "I wasn't looking for a relationship with Veronica. She is hot and sassy and smart…" He pauses and looks around to see that they are still alone. Then he carries on, "I just thought that it would be good to date someone who…" Logan stops this train of thought and leans back against the wall; his arm drops from her shoulder.

"Who is what?" Meg questions.

Logan sighs and then finally answers, "Who is real."

Meg's face shows her shock at Logan's words. He is almost never open about his feelings. He says, "I know you have an idea of what it is like at home for me."

She looks upset and nods. He carries on, "When I am not with Lilly, I have been so unhappy." He pauses thinking how to word what he wants to say, "I haven't cared about any of the interim girls and they were using me as well. It was all so… fake."

Logan sees that Meg understands what he is telling her. He finishes, "I knew it would be different with Ronnie." He looks up the hallway and then back at Meg and finishes, "I wasn't looking for it but I am happy with Veronica."

Meg feels choked at the way Logan seems shocked that he could be happy. He is a great guy who deserves to be loved and deserves to be happy. She says, "Oh Logan, I just want you to be happy."

His face softens and he answers, "I know." He pauses and then he tells her, "I always thought that Lilly was the only one for me. We are both so messed up that we belong together. Someday we would get married." He adds quietly, "I will probably always love Lilly but I…" He pauses again.

Meg finishes, "But you have feelings for Veronica."

Logan nods and tells her earnestly, "I didn't mean to hurt Lilly."

"You talked to her?" Meg questions.

Logan nods again, "She was surprised but then she put up a front and told me she was over me anyways."

Meg sighs and then tells the worried young man, "I will talk to her later. She will be looking for trouble."

Logan nods in relief. Meg is good with Lilly. They both know that when Lilly is upset, she gets wild.

Meg steps over and hugs Logan. "I am happy for you. Veronica is great! She is lucky to date you."

Smirking he says, "I am a sexy beast."

The mood lightened, Meg laughs and begs, "Please no sharing."

Logan laughs as well. Meg and Duncan had always been uncomfortable with how open he and Lilly were physically. They both continually told them that they had to quit sharing in public. "I make no guarantees."

Letting go of the shorter blonde, Logan steps out of the doorway and waits for Meg to follow him. He offers, "I'll walk you to your locker."

"What did Duncan say when you told him?" Meg asks as they walk together.

Her friend answers, "I am going to tell him at supper tonight."

Meg reassures Logan, "Duncan will understand. He knows that Lilly is going to college next year."

Logan nods but still looks worried as he tells her, "I hope so."

Unable to hold in her curiosity Meg asks, "Was Veronica surprised?"

He meets her gaze and tells her, "We are meeting after her soccer practice to talk about it."

Frowning a little as she thinks about what Logan is telling her, she clarifies, "So you don't even know if Veronica will agree to date you seriously?"

He shakes his head and says, "I just can't ride the roller coaster anymore. I want to really try with Veronica."

Meg smiles and comments, "Well my little Logan is growing up."

Amused he intones, "Oh, it's not little."

Blushing she informs him, "I know. Often times you and Lilly were too open."

Laughing at her discomfort Logan teases, "You loved it!"

He sees her blush further and decides to change the subject. He asks half seriously, "So do I have to have a talk with this Deputy Leo about how to treat you?"

Meg immediately points a finger at him and warns, "Stay away from him." She pauses and pushes her hair back over her shoulder. Logan sees her touch her hair and listens carefully. It is a gesture she does when she is nervous or upset. She shares, "He is a gentleman." Meeting his gaze she says meaningfully, "He has a normal family."

Logan puts his hand on her back in support. Part of the bond between Logan and Meg is that they both are counting the days until they can leave their abusive families. He tells her, "That is great Meg. I bet they love you."

"There are a lot of them. They are loud, noisy and they really love each other." Meg informs him knowing he will understand what she is saying.

Logan smiles and quietly tells her, "It actually sounds nice."

She nods and breaks away from Logan to go to her locker. She waves, "I'll talk to you later."

He waves back and walks towards his fifth period class.

_After school_

Veronica ignores all the talk and looks as she walks towards Logan's locker. She puts her arms around him from behind and says, "Hey stranger."

Recognizing her voice and touch, Logan puts his hand over hers on his abdomen. He stands and looks back over his shoulder at his girlfriend. He answers easily, "I know we haven't seen each other much today."

She teases, "Well that is why I am here. I thought I would refresh your memory of what I looked like."

Turning in her arms he tilts his head as he ponders, "Ah yes. I remember now." He gently touches her lips with his finger stating, "I may need more reminding though."

Amused she goes up on her tip toes and purses her lips for a kiss. "I can do that," she informs him happily.

Logan leans down to meet her lips and they both enjoy the connection between them. When the kiss is over, Veronica sighs and mentions, "Change of plans for tonight."

Quizzically he looks at her and she explains, "Cindy called and said that Marie was upset at school today and she asked if I would come over and see her tonight."

Although he really wants to talk to her tonight, he is concerned about Marie. She has been through so much and Veronica is on pins and needles every time her little 'adopted' sister has to go to the doctor or go for follow up blood work.

"Did Cindy say what upset Marie?" he asks.

Frustrated Veronica answers, "Believe it or not some girls at school teased her about her hair and how thin she is."

"Wow," he comments, "Neptune Elementary mean girls; they start them young now a days."

He listens as she bursts out angrily, "She is going through enough Logan. She doesn't need to be tormented by stupid, selfish little bitches."

He tightens his arms around her giving her a supportive, warm hug. Lightly he says, "If the desire to kill and the opportunity to kill came always together, who would escape hanging? Mark Twain.'

His words have the desired effect and she smiles a little at him. She sighs and wraps her arms tighter around him. He feels her relax and he is pleased that he was able to help her get her upset out. He just holds her letting her know that he is there for her. She is so good at trying to be there for her friends and father. It is nice to be able to support her a little.

When she pulls away she says, "I know that there are always going to be people like that in the world. It's just that it is a special kind of low to make a person who is battling cancer feel badly about themselves."

Nodding his agreement, Logan points out, "The thing is those kids who are teasing her don't know better; they need to be taught to think of others." He can see that his girlfriend is thinking about what he said; but the real truth is, Logan understands those kids better than most people. He was never taught to think of what others would feel. Until he started dating Veronica he never really thought about people who couldn't afford to buy whatever they wanted, do whatever they wanted and say whatever they wanted. His father could probably kill someone and get away with it just because the public thinks he is special.

"You know, you are right!" Veronica exclaims surprising her boyfriend. Her face lightens as she adds, "I should be showing Marie how to make something good from this."

Hugging her boyfriend excitedly she leans up and gives him a short but deep kiss. She pulls away and reaches into the front pouch of her messenger back. Turning from Logan she pulls out her phone and puts in the code to unlock it. He can see her busy mind is already on what she wants to do now. A little absently she says, "Thanks Logan. You are the best! I'll call you later."

Accessing her telephone directory she pushes a button and puts the phone to her ear as she walks away. Logan watches her walk away a little bemused but very happy that he was able to make her feel better; even if he doesn't completely understand why. He hears her say to whomever she is talking to, "Hey I need a favor."

He watches her until she turns down the next hallway at the end of the corridor. He smiles a little because he likes watching her in planning mode and then turns his attention back to his locker. He pulls out his English book, shuts his locker and heads out to go surfing. He will wait until Veronica calls him to meet her and have their talk.

_After Surfing; Dinner with Duncan_

Logan leans back and hands his menu to the waitress and then waits for her to leave. He looks at his friend and starts, "DK, I have something to tell you but I don't want you to be upset with me."

Frowning a little as he thinks about what his friend could want to tell him, Duncan asks, "What is it?"

Taking a deep breath and letting it out before he starts, Logan answers, "A few months ago I thought that after college you would marry Meg and eventually Lilly and I would get married." He adds, "We would always be the Fab 4."

Seeing Duncan is listening Logan continues, "Now you aren't dating Meg and I am dating Veronica."

A little worried, Duncan asks, "Is this about me and Meg?"

Shaking his head Logan answers, "No, you have to do what is right for you. I get that." He meets Duncan's gaze and says meaningfully, "Just as I have to do what is right for me."

Immediately Duncan understands that Logan is going to tell him that he and Lilly are through for good. Logan sees that his friend with his quick mind has followed his logic. Logan finishes, "I talked to Lilly today and told her that we would always be friends but I think it is best if we don't date anymore."

"Wow," the stunned 09er says, "I wasn't expecting that."

Logan leans forward and tells his best friend, "I wasn't either but the past few months have shown me that what Lilly and I have together is not healthy for either of us." Watching his friend Logan can see that he is listening carefully. He continues, "I never understood why if Lilly really loved me she could want to be with other guys."

Duncan looks a little upset by what his friend is saying. Before he can comment, Logan adds, "Before Veronica."

The dark haired young man is really taken a back by what his best friend is telling him. Logan has never had any feelings for any of the girls he has dated except Lilly. In fact, Duncan seriously doubts that Logan would date any of them if his sister didn't keep breaking up with him. Now Logan is telling him that he is more than physically attracted to Veronica Mars.

"Do you love her?" Duncan asks.

Slowly shaking his head Logan answers carefully, "No, but she means more to me than just a girl to date. I would like to explore what we have together."

Amazed Duncan sits back and thinks about what Logan is saying. This is a huge step for Logan to have any real feelings for any girls other than Lilly and Meg. The reality is Duncan is not totally surprised. Veronica is smart, hot and although he has seen first hand that she can be a real bitch, he has also seen that she can be loving and faithful with the guys she dates. Duncan was friends with Victor and watched how good they were to and for each other.

He knows how dysfunctional Logan's home life is and how it has affected him. Lilly and Logan had seemed perfectly suited as they were both passionate and understood the deep pain of not being loved at home. He and Meg both felt the weight of parental expectations and had bonded over that. Now he sees that perhaps he and Meg would be better as friends. They could understand what each other was going through; they just couldn't be what the other one truly needed. Duncan can see now that perhaps Logan needs the stability of a faithful, caring relationship. He knows his sister and she thinks she is just having fun but she is really trying to fill the void inside her that their Dad and Mom left by favoring him. Although everyone at school envies them, truly their lives are a mess. Duncan really hopes that Lilly will settle down when she is away from their parent's constant disapproval and the continuous reminder that they just tolerate her.

Duncan is brought back by Logan's concerned voice, "DK?" He looks at his best friend and sees his concern that his decision to end things with Lilly will affect their friendship. He immediately reassures him, "I am surprised but I understand your reasons for ending it for good with Lilly."

Relieved Logan earnestly tells him, "I never wanted to hurt Lilly."

Immediately Duncan agrees, "I know."

The food arrives and both young men dig in. After a few minutes, Duncan asks, "Was Veronica surprised when you told her that you want to really date her?"

Logan meets his gaze and tells him, "I am going to talk to her about it tonight."

Like Meg, Duncan is surprised. Logan explains, "I have to settle things with Lilly before I can be free to really date someone else."

Duncan nods as he chews. He sees the distinction. He is actually pleased that Logan ended his relationship with Lilly before he began a real one with Veronica.

Frowning in thought Duncan looks at Logan and shares, "I just can't get over the fact that Veronica was willing to date you knowing you were planning on going back to Lilly. She just doesn't seem like the type of girl to date a guy if there is no future in it."

Logan knows what his friend is saying. He thought that about Veronica as well. "Actually DK, she wants to go to college, start her career and then meet Mr. Right. She says her relationships with Josh and Victor were caring and respectful; they were good for right now. She told me that she is practical and she knew they were both going away and they would have to be apart." He frowns as he wonders how she is going to react to his decision to stay with her. "I guess to her I am 'Mr. Right Now' as well."

Duncan thinks about Veronica dating Josh and Victor and realizes that she must have known their relationship would not last forever. They were both going away and they would be separated for years even if she ended going to the same college as them. He sees that Veronica is different than Meg. Meg is looking for the man she will marry and spend her life with; Veronica is looking for a relationship that is good but she is not looking for it to be permanent. "I guess I can understand her thinking," he says slowly.

There is a pause in the conversation while both young men eat and think about what has been said. Finally Logan ventures, "I feel good about myself when I am with her. I don't know where it will go but right now, Veronica is good for me."

Nodding Duncan says, "I get it." He pauses and adds, "Logan, I am glad for you."

Logan knows the boy who has been his best friend for years and can see that he is worried about his sister but he is not upset with him. He sighs relieved that this situation has not cost him his best friend.

They change the topic to school, their friends and surfing. The supper is delicious and both guys enjoy some time together. They are both busy with their own lives and don't spend a lot of time with just the two of them. When they are done, Logan picks up the bill and opens his wallet to get the appropriate amount of money out for the meal and tip.

Duncan tells him he is going to go home and check on Lilly. Duncan stands and looks down at his friend who looks concerned. He says, "Don't worry. It is the same as with me and Meg; if you and Lilly are meant to be, you will find each other again and it will be a good time for you both."

Logan nods his agreement. The two young men say their goodbyes and both head out towards the parking lot. Logan hears his phone beep with Veronica's special text tone. He opens his messages and sees that Veronica has now texted him that she is headed home. He texts her back asking her if they can walk Back Up.

_Late Evening_

As they sit on the beach watching Back Up run around chasing birds and sniffing the sand, Logan realizes that he is tired. He thinks it is more an emotional fatigue than the physical exhaustion he gets after surfing. He had not realized what a strain it would be to talk to Lilly, Duncan and Meg today. They all mean a lot to him and he wouldn't want to upset any of them.

Veronica on the other hand is energized. She excitedly tells Logan about her plan to combine her big project in Photojournalism with a way to show elementary school children how to be more sensitive to others.

Logan finds his mood improving just listening to Veronica as she outlines her plan. She is going to take pictures and put them to music. She got a guy she knows from her History class who is in Voice with Meg to sing the song for her. Veronica is obviously enthused about the project telling Logan that she and Marie made a list of pictures for Veronica to take and Marie is going to help her choose which pictures to use.

"I want to hear all about the project Veronica, I really do but right now I really want to hold you and kiss you." He leans in the rest of the way and puts his mouth over hers while he wraps his arms around her. Logan lays back and then rolls them over so he is on top pressing her between his body and the warm soft sand.

Initially a little shocked that he interrupted her, Veronica soon decides that telling Logan the details of her project can wait; kissing him is much better.

Their make out session is interrupted when Back Up puts his paws on Logan's back and tries to stick his head in between the couple. They break apart laughing and Logan reaches over wrapping his arm around the burly puppy's neck knocking him to the ground.

Veronica watches laughing as her puppy and her boyfriend wrestle with Back Up growling happily at his play mate.

On their way back to Veronica's place, Logan squeezes her hand and says, "I want to talk to you about us but tonight I am really wiped out. Can we talk tomorrow?"

Immediately worried at his tone, she reassures him, "Sure, that's no problem." She questions looking closely at him, "Are you OK?"

Pleased at her concern he leans in and kisses her forehead. He says, "I'm fine; you don't need to worry."

"But that is my job," she tells him cutely.

Smiling now, he puts his finger to his chin and teases, "I thought a girl's job was to confuse and torment her boyfriend."

Smiling back she says, "Oops, I better re read my 'Woman's Guide to Understanding Men' bible."

Hugging her to him he thinks that perhaps she has memorized the entire manual. He feels so good when he is with her.


	15. Chapter 15

_Story so Far: AU. Logan/Lilly, Duncan/Meg are the Fab 4. Veronica is the daughter of Sheriff Mars. Logan and Lilly are on an off period and Logan sees Veronica in her soccer uniform. He is really attracted to her but she doesn't want to be an interim girl. They decide to date but keep their relationship private. They grow closer emotionally and physically. They both agree to just enjoy what is between them as long as it lasts. Time goes by and soon they have been dating a few months. It has been a revelation for Logan to date Veronica. He decides not to go back to Lilly and give his relationship with Veronica a real chance._

Walking down the hallway with a few friends, Logan stops in surprise when he sees Veronica come out of her health class. She is wearing a pregnancy suit. They are obviously one size fits all because it looks huge on her tiny frame.

She spies him and walks over to say hello. He smiles at her, whistles a little and says, "Hot mama!"

Unhappy that she has to be involved in the pregnancy class at all, she tells the guys, "I applied to be exempt from the robot baby as my schedule is already crazy with work, classes, soccer, volunteering at the fire department and photography. I already wrote my essay on the pitfalls of teenage pregnancy." Obviously upset she adds, "They stuck me with the jelly belly instead of the robot baby."

Logan openly ogles her and teases, "Are you having twins?" The guys laugh as it is obvious that she is not amused by Logan's teasing.

She frowns and retorts, "You should take your act on the road."

Seeing she is actually upset, Logan pulls her to him and hugs her. He reaches down and rubs her belly as he talks to her quietly telling her that she looks really sexy.

Logan's friends and the students watching see the intimate gesture and are taken at how close Logan and Veronica look. Veronica leans her head against his chest and complains, "I can't imagine carrying this around 24/7. It is heavy.

Sympathetically he points out, "They probably should have a petit size. You wouldn't be this big until you are ready to deliver."

Appeased, she smiles up at him and pouts cutely, "I know it is a fake baby but I am hungry."

Logan laughs out loud and puts his arm around her shoulder steering her towards her next class. He questions, "What is baby craving?"

Leaning into him she answers sweetly, "Chinese."

Amused Logan says, "I think it is the father's job to keep the mother fed and happy."

The guys following listen to Veronica's observations that this class should be held when it would do the most good; perhaps grade eight or nine. She looks back and teases them, "When did you guys start thinking about sex? It would be more valuable for you to take this class then."

The guys start discussing when they started having sex. Logan makes no comment about when he started having sex. They all know when; he and Lilly weren't exactly subtle. He also notices that Veronica makes no comment about when she started having sex. She was dating Josh when she was in Grade Nine. He can't imagine they went the whole time they dated without being intimate; Josh was quite a player back then.

As she separates from the guys to go down the hallway to her next class, Dick whistles loudly and tells her he likes her pregnancy wiggle. They all laugh as the petit blond gives him a rude gesture without looking back. Logan watching her walk away wonders what there is about her pregnant belly that gets him so hot.

_Later that evening_

Logan picks Veronica up and they go for a drive. He takes her to see his favorite view of the ocean. It is a spot he found one day while he was new to driving. He didn't want to go home so he went for a drive up the PCH and found it by accident as he pulled in to turn around to head back home. He has not taken any of the Fab 4 there mostly because they don't usually just sit and talk. Lilly never wants to have a personal conversation. Logan and Duncan usually talk over video games or while they surf. Logan and Meg don't often go anywhere alone to talk.

He helps her waddle over to sit down on the log but once she is settled, she loves the view. She arches her back trying to ease the strain she feels from carrying the extra weight. Thoughtfully Logan reaches over and rubs her lower back with his bigger and warmer hand. Veronica leans forward as much as she can with her expanded belly and closes her eyes in bliss.

Happy to help her feel better, Logan rubs her lower back and looks out at the view. Her little moans of relief and relaxation are simultaneously very cute and very arousing.

After a few minutes Veronica lifts her head to look out at the view as well. "Oh Logan, it is wonderful here!" she tells him sincerely.

Looking out at the view as he continues to rub her lower back, he agrees, "It really is."

They both just look out over the view for a few minutes. Finally Logan says, "I think we should talk about us."

She turns her head to look at him. Quickly she sees he is serious about talking to her. Obviously reluctant to stop her back rub, she turns to face him. Logan's hands drop away from Veronica and she smiles her thanks. After meeting his gaze without speaking for a few seconds, she teases, "I want you to understand the sacrifice I am making to give up the wonderful back rub to talk."

He smiles at her. He is getting to know her and can see she does not really want to talk about their relationship but since it is something he wants, she will. "I know our relationship started off as just having fun but now I want to give us a real shot."

Frowning a little she turns and looks at him fully. "Logan," she tries, "I…" Pausing she looks at him closely and then says, "I am not sure what you are saying."

The tall, dark and undeniably handsome young man tenderly brushes the hair from her forehead and tells her that she has become important to him. "I want us to be a real couple."

Gently he caresses her cheek and then trails his fingers down to her neck sliding his hand behind her neck to tilt up her face. He leans down and kisses her electing to show her his feelings instead of using words.

When the kiss is over she looks at him in wonder. She can feel his emotions. Unsure she asks, "What about you and Lilly?"

He leans in and nuzzles her temple, "I talked to Lilly already. She knows we aren't getting back together."

Open mouthed, Veronica pulls back and looks up at her boyfriend. Realizing she is gaping, she audibly closes her mouth. Logan smirks. "I just am finding it hard to believe that you are done with Lilly," she explains.

Nodding he says, "We are over." Seeing she is having difficulty believing it, he exclaims, "Really Veronica."

When she doesn't seem to have anything to say, he gets frustrated. He asks, "Look when you started dating your other boyfriends, you knew the relationship would go as long as you both wanted?"

She nods trying to think where he is going with this line of questions. Logan continues, "I think we deserve that as well. We are both free, attracted to each other and want to be together. We don't know where it will go but we are willing to find out together."

Logan watches her forehead wrinkle as it does when she is thinking deeply. He puts his thumb over the winkles rubbing them. Veronica looks up at her boyfriend and has to smile at how well he already knows her.

"Actually," she starts, "I knew that my relationships with Josh and Victor would have a terminal point." Meeting his gaze she finishes, "I haven't dated anyone that there wasn't a known end point."

His smile grows as he thinks about what she is telling him. Leaning his forehead to hers, he says, "Well I think we should give us a try." He gently leans in and kisses her adding, "Should be interesting."

The tiny blond girl has to smile at his manner. He is really excited and happy; it is hard to resist him in this mood. She reaches up and takes his face in her hands. Holding his gaze she asks, "Are you sure Logan?"

Keeping her gaze he nods and tells her firmly, "I am sure."

She shakes her head slightly and confesses, "I might need a little time to wrap my head around the idea that you and Lilly are through."

Logan can understand why she is having trouble with the concept. He and Lilly had been together a long time. He vows, "You will see that things have changed Veronica."

Faced with Logan's certainty she hesitantly agrees, "OK, I guess we are a regular couple dating but not knowing when or how it will end."

Happy she has accepted his word, he points out, "Now I think making out is something that regular couples do."

"Logan," she protests, "I am supposed to be in the last trimester of a pregnancy."

Shaking his head he tells her, "It's weird but I am so turned on by you with this baby bump."

Pushing his wandering hands away, she admonishes, "Logan."

Laughing he says, "Think of it as research for your project. How do women in their last trimester have sex?"

Amused she answers smartly, "I don't think that is one of the questions I am supposed to answer."

Nuzzling her neck he answers, "It should be," before he kisses her. He reaches down and pulls up on her t shirt. She has no further objections.

_The following Thursday_

Mac and Erica find Veronica by her locker. Erica holding back her laughter asks, "V, how does it feel to be carrying the Echolls' heir?" They had been surprised when Veronica confided in them that Logan promised her that he and Lilly were through. Although Veronica seemed a little unsure that Logan could give up his long term relationship with his ex-girlfriend, she had been really persuaded by his earnest manner. She felt he had always been honest with her. That fact alone persuaded her to give Logan the chance he asked for to prove he was over Lilly.

Getting extra pens out of a pouch she says, "I was really glad to get rid of the jelly belly." Zipping up the pouch and putting it back on the shelf she adds, "It was really heavy!"

Mac looking at Erica bites her lip in amusement. She takes a deep breath and says, "No I am talking about the fact that you and Logan Echolls are about to have your first child." She unrolls the paper she is holding and shows the article to Veronica.

The headline screams, "Aaron Echolls to become a grandfather." Veronica rips the paper from Mac's hands and scans the article. There is a huge picture of Logan and her walking her dog on the beach. They are holding hands. She is obviously pregnant.

Veronica exclaims, "Oh my god! My father is going to have a cow!"

Logan is looking at a similar article after taking a lot of teasing from his 09er friends. He is horrified. His father is not going to like the fact that the tabloids will be talking about how he is old enough to be a grandfather. This is really not good!

As he looks at the article he wonders what he should do. Should he call his father or his mother? He hears a throat clear and pulls the paper down to see Vice Principal Clemmons standing there.

Mr. Clemmons intones, "Mr. Echolls, would you please come with me."

Sighing Logan realizes that the school is going to take the decision out of his hands. He closes his locker and follows vice principal down the hall towards the administration offices.

When he arrives in the office he sees that Veronica is already sitting there. She looks upset. He goes over and sits next to her wrapping his arm around her. Turning to him she says, "The school called my dad and your parents." She nods over to one of the offices and adds, "Dad is here and is in the office talking to Principal Moorehead."

Unsure what to say, Logan starts with, "I'm sorry."

Looking up at him she reassures, "It's not your fault." She wrings her hands in her lap and tells her boyfriend, "Dad was really upset. He is not happy that my reputation is ruined and of course, having a pregnant teenage daughter won't help his re election chances."

"You aren't pregnant." Logan points out. He adds, "The papers will have to retract the article. The school will just have a press conference or something."

Looking at Logan she sees he is worried for her. A little reassured she asks, "A press conference"

Pulling her closer he quietly explains that his parents have a public relations guy who will assess how best to deal with the situation. He adds, "They will explain that it was a school project."

She leans into him and says, "I guess we should have stayed indoors. I never thought about a tabloid photographer following us around and taking our picture." She shutters a little, "It's creepy."

Absently Logan reassures her, "Don't worry. We probably weren't followed by a paparazzi. Usually someone takes the picture and then sells it to the tabloids." He looks at her and sees her frown. He explains that he has to be very careful of who he parties with or what he does. Someone from the party could take his picture and sell it." Meeting her gaze he says, "That is why I was so mad about Pam videoing us."

Veronica thinks about what Logan is telling her. She finds she is really disturbed that someone who actually knows them may have invaded their privacy. Understanding that Logan is more experienced with issues of this sort, she points out, "I am a little freaked out that someone followed us and sent our picture to the tabloids." She adds, "We were at the beach in front of my place."

"I can probably find out who sold them the picture," he tells her. He can see she is truly worried. He has learned over the years how to handle his public name. He imagines that it was someone at the school looking to make some cash by selling a photo of him. Although he is used to surrounding himself with people he can trust, Veronica is new to the whole situation.

Veronica thinks about what Logan is telling her. She is beginning to see why he mostly hangs out with other 09ers. They would not need the money from the newspapers. However she has lots of friends who could really use the money. Now she finds she doesn't know who she can really trust. Her voice a little shaky she quietly says, "Maybe you should find out who sold us out."

Logan sees her discomfort that someone she knows may have violated her trust. Sympathetically he takes her hand and reassures her, "Your father's re election won't be hurt by the picture. Once the principal talks about how you are number one in our class, on the varsity soccer team, a photographer on the school paper and how you work and volunteer, everyone will be impressed with what a great father Sheriff Mars is." He adds quietly, "I'll find out who sold the picture and story; we will deal with him or her."

Smiling at his light tone she asks, "Do you think your parents will be mad?"

Grimacing a little Logan shares, "I imagine my dad won't see being equated with being old enough to be a grandparent as action role inducing."

Frowning Veronica looks carefully at her boyfriend. She sees he is more upset than he is letting on. Surely his father will understand that this whole situation is not Logan's fault.

The door to the principal's office opens and Sheriff Mars exits. He immediately goes over to where his daughter and the apparent father of his grandchild are sitting together. He stops in front of them and nods at the young man who is looking at him with trepidation. He says, "Logan."

Logan nods respectfully answering, "Mr. Mars."

Keith looks over at his daughter and his face softens as he sees her worry. He explains, "Principal Moorehead is going to have a press conference to explain that you are in health class and that you were assigned a pregnancy body as part of the course on parenting." He looks over at Logan and tells the famous young man, "Your parents are talking to their PR guy. It sounds like they may decide to have their own press conference from LA so you may have to go there.'

A look of unease passes over Logan's face and he immediately looks down. Veronica looking at Logan sees the look and she frowns in puzzlement.

Principal Moorehead comes out of his office and reminds the two teenagers not to talk to the press or anyone before the press conference. Both of them agree to his instructions and are given slips to give to their teachers when they go back to class.

Sheriff Mars kisses Veronica's forehead and assures her, "I will talk to Logan's parents and we will come up with a plan that settles this as soon as possible." He adds, "In the meantime, do not go out alone with Logan." He explains, "I want you to limit the publicity until we have this mess straightened out."

After he leaves and Logan is walking Veronica to her class, she looks up at him and says, "The more I think about it, the madder I am that someone I know might have sold us out. How do you know who you can trust?"

He gently squeezes her hand and tells her, "I am used to it Veronica. Don't worry, I will make a few calls."

Leaning up to kiss him at the door of her class she teases, "Well at least the world knows that you are the type of guy who would stay with the girl you got pregnant."

Smiling a little he puts his hand to his chest and deadpans, "I think a little girl who looks just like you for me to spoil would be wonderful."

Entertained by him, she leans up and gently kisses him again. Tilting her head at him after their kiss she answers, "Well if I was having your baby, I hope he or she gets your sense of humor, quick wit and…" she lowers her voice and finishes, "be a history and math geek like you." She smiles that she surprised him; he was expecting her to comment that she hopes their baby gets his or her looks from his side of the family. She adds as she opens the door of her classroom, "Of course between us this child will have to read a wide variety of books."

Waving goodbye she enters the classroom unaware of the emotions she has stirred in the young man she left behind. As he walks to his class he thinks about how Veronica actually admires his mind and personality. She says and does the unexpected; he never finds her boring. He thinks about how at the beach with the 09er girls she wasn't upset they ignored her or talked down to her; she was actually discouraged that they didn't talk about anything she found interesting or important. He knows what she means; the discussions between the two of them are varied and interesting and if he brings up an author or book she has not read, she is interested in hearing about what he has learned. It is a different type of relationship for him.

He ponders how one night he talked to her about the discussion he and his counselor had regarding learning from the school of life instead of college and she had been intrigued. After some thought she told him that he should probably go to college first though. To her mind a good and varied knowledge base is important. Logan could actually see her point. He could go to college and get a degree in history. Then when he travelled, he would be better prepared to understand the different cultures, religions and ideology he would encounter. There is something to be said for learning from professors who were well read and thoughtful about their specialties.

As it turns out Logan was summoned to LA to attend a press conference with his parents. Veronica, Sheriff Mars and members of the Neptune School Board were present at the press conference held by the Neptune School District. Principal Moorehead talked about how Health was a required course for all students and that in the curriculum for the course a week was dedicated to the responsibilities of parenting. He discussed how it was emphasized that both parents be involved in the care of the infant and how the social and economic factors related to child rearing were discussed. An essay and a financial plan were completed by each student as a portion of their grade. He added that a choice of wearing the pregnancy body or having the robotic child is offered as the other portion of the grade for this section of the curriculum. He carries on to explain that Miss Mars with her history of babysitting and her heavy involvement in extracurricular activities both school related and volunteer related, elected to wear the pregnancy body. Gesturing to Veronica wearing her soccer uniform and standing next to her father, he dryly pointed out that Veronica had to leave soon to catch the bus as she is on the Varsity soccer team and they have an away game this evening. Finally he talks about how Miss Mars is currently taking Journalism and Photojournalism and perhaps she can learn the importance of fact checking from this very unfortunate experience. Sheriff Mars briefly talks about how although Veronica is an overachiever at times, he knew that from breakfast with her to suppertime she had not gone through eight months of pregnancy. The reporters predictably laughed and Veronica was asked a few questions about the class and her school activities. When asked about dating Logan Echolls she merely said, "Logan will have Health next semester. I hope I won't be reading about his fatherhood then."

Logan ended up spending the weekend in LA. The press conference in LA was longer with Aaron Echolls doing most of the talking. The young man standing beside his famous mother listened to his father playfully fend off the questions of his becoming a grandfather and he knew it was going to be bad for him after.

_Tuesday_

Veronica was surprised how anxious she was to see her boyfriend after being apart for the weekend. He stayed in LA with his parents and didn't come back until late on Sunday night. When he arrived at her door on Monday morning, she rushed out to hug him. When she wrapped her arms around him, he immediately hugged her back but close to him she felt the flinch. Pulling back to look at her boyfriend she doesn't have time to speak before she is thoroughly kissed.

When the kiss is over, Veronica slowly opens her eyes and looks up at her handsome, sexy boyfriend. "I missed you," she tells him softly.

Gently pushing the hair from her forehead he agrees, "I missed you too."

As they walk together to his car, Veronica notices that he is walking stiffly. When he gets in behind the wheel he grimaces a little when he settles back.

"Logan are you injured?" she asks.

"I fell hard surfing on the weekend," he smoothly explains.

Worried she questions, "Where are you hurt?"

Leaning in to nuzzle her cheek to her ear, he whispers, "Are you going to kiss it better?"

Amused by his teasing, she answers in a peppy girl tone, "Oh absolutely! That is what a good girlfriend does."

"In that case," he intones, "I will definitely be showing you where I think it hurts later."

Laughing she continues on with her ditzy girlfriend voice, "I just want to make you feel better."

Pretending to push her back into the back seat he quickly says, "We should probably start now. I may need a lot of attention."

Giggling Veronica very gently pushes him away, "Later. We have school this morning."

While Logan drives them to school, Veronica assesses him. His face is pale and he is leaning forward in his seat while he drives. Normally he is very relaxed leaning back against the plush leather seat as he watches the road. Frowning a little she points out, "Maybe you shouldn't go surfing after school."

Meeting her gaze briefly he tells her, "I will see how I feel later."

Nodding her understanding Veronica gets her phone out and her attention is directed to answering a text from Mac.

_Late that evening_

Although she still has a little homework and she is tired from soccer practice and work, Veronica elects to go over and see how Logan is feeling. He is alone in his home as his parents are still in LA.

The pool house is dark when she walks around the back of the mansion. She looks up to the windows at the back of the house to see if there is a light on in his bedroom and it is dark. Briefly she wonders if he is already gone to sleep. It is almost eleven pm. She should go straight home and get her homework done but she wanted to check on her boyfriend. He must have really fallen hard surfing on the weekend as he is really favoring his back. If he is asleep, she will just let him sleep and see him in the morning. It will ease her mind if she just checks on him though.

Carefully and quietly the young woman opens the pool house door and steps inside. It is dark but the light from the open bathroom door highlights her sleeping boyfriend. Turning, she quietly closes the pool house door and creeps over to the bed. Her heart rate increases as she sees that he is sleeping face down across the bed in just his boxers. He is so very handsome and sexy.

Since he is only wearing boxers she decides to check his back and see what his surfing injury looks like. He seemed so uncomfortable today. Slowly and carefully she walks over to where Logan is sleeping on the bed.

When she gets close she gets a clear view of his back in the light from the bathroom. Sucking in a sharp breath, she walks closer to get a good look at the damage.

Logan asleep on the comfortable pool house bed is startled out of his peaceful slumber. At first a little disoriented he opens his eyes and sees his girlfriend standing beside the bed. As he works through the fog and comes to the surface, he slowly becomes aware that Veronica is wearing the white blouse and skirt from the Hut. She must have dropped over to see him after work. When he meets her gaze she is not smiling as usual; instead, she has a horrified look on her pretty face.

His highly intelligent, beautiful girlfriend is looking at his back and he can see she has a really good idea what happened to him. "Veronica," he croaks in his sleep husky voice.

"Who did this to you," she immediately demands to know. Her eyes are glued to the long markings on his back. Bile rises to her throat and she turns and rushes into the bathroom slamming the door after her.

More awake now, Logan carefully gets off the bed and makes his way over to the closed bathroom door. Listening closely, he doesn't hear any sounds. He calls, "Veronica?"

There is no answer but after a few seconds he hears the water running. Carefully he tries the door handle and it opens when he turns the handle. When he peeks inside he sees she is standing at one of the sinks drying her face. He tries again, "Ronnie?"

She looks up and meets his gaze in the mirror. She says quietly but firmly, "It's your dad, isn't it?"

Immediately he sees that her quick mind has already pieced together most of the story. His voice resigned he tells her, "He was really upset about the press coverage of your supposed pregnancy."

Turning to look at him she bursts out, "That wasn't your fault."

His face twists as he remembers his father's anger. Logan explains, "He will lose roles now because the public thinks of him as a potential grandfather." Taking a step closer to her Logan says, "I should have been more careful about avoiding the publicity."

Indignant Veronica bursts out, "That is no reason for him to …." She pauses and finished, "hurt you."

Logan is simultaneously thrilled that she is so indignant on his behalf and sick with worry that she knows.

"If he has to punish you, he could take away your cell phone or ground you," she explains.

There is a pause while both teenagers think about what to say. Veronica's thoughts are churning in her head. She has so many questions; ranging from how long this has been going on to who knows and if he has reported it.

Logan is really concerned that Veronica knows. He has been very careful and only a few people know about his abuse. Of course his mother knows but other than her, only Lilly, Duncan and Meg know. They have kept his secret but he is really not sure that Veronica will. Her father is Sheriff and she may want to tell him. When he dates other girls, he just stays away from them until he is healed. If he goes surfing with the guys he wears a wet suit until the wounds are completely healed. When he is tanned the scars are almost invisible.

He sighs and he thinks about how to explain his abuse to Veronica. She comes from a normal home. She will not understand how there are different rules for rich and famous men like his father. She will not accept that people knew and kept quiet.

This was a particularly bad whipping. Normally after a few lashes, his father is satisfied he has learned his lesson; this time he was deeply angry. Thankfully over the past few years, Logan's father has not come back to Neptune often. He finds reasons to stay in the mansion in LA.

The excuses for staying in LA when he is not on location are that he has business there or has functions to attend but Logan knows that his father never wanted him and while he is tucked away in Neptune, his father doesn't have to think about him or see him; he is out of his sight and mind. His father rarely calls to see how he is doing. Usually only his mother calls or comes home to see him. When Aaron and Lynn Echolls moved to Neptune, the headlines were very favorable. Aaron was a caring father and wanted to bring his beloved son and daughter up away from the big city. Even at twelve Logan knew the truth was that his father was moving him away so he didn't have to see or talk to him often.

Logan knows that while his mother is in Neptune, his father has his floozies at their mansion in LA. Logan hears the rumors of his father's liaisons with other women and he has heard his father scornfully tell his mother that she has let herself go and he is not to blame that he wants to be with more beautiful women.

He is brought out of his thoughts when Veronica says, "We have to tell my dad."

Immediately he exclaims, "No!" His voice echoes in the spacious bathroom. Quickly he realizes that his voice is too loud and too forceful as Veronica recoils a little at his angry tone. Taking a deep breath in and letting it out, he tries to calm down. She doesn't realize how dangerous this situation is; he has to salvage it somehow.

Obviously upset she tells him, "Your father is a monster! He deserves to be punished for this. You need to get away from him?" She reiterates, "We have to call my dad."

The anxiety rises in the young man as he sees that Veronica is determined to do what she thinks is right. This is a lot worse than when Lilly, Duncan and Meg found out. Horrified he watches as she pulls her cell phone out of her pocket. Reacting to the threat of her calling the Sheriff, he reaches over and forcibly takes her cell phone from her.

She looks at him with open mouthed shock and a little fear.


	16. Chapter 16

_Story so Far: AU. Logan/Lilly, Duncan/Meg are the Fab 4. Veronica is the daughter of Sheriff Mars. Logan and Lilly are on an off period and Logan sees Veronica in her soccer uniform. He is really attracted to her but she doesn't want to be an interim girl. They decide to date but keep their relationship private. They grow closer emotionally and physically. They both agree to just enjoy what is between them as long as it lasts. Time goes by and soon they have been dating a few months. It has been a revelation for Logan to date Veronica. He decides not to go back to Lilly and give his relationship with Veronica a real chance. For a school project Veronica wears a baby bump and is photographed with Logan. Both their parents are unhappy._

_Last Chapter:_

_Obviously upset she tells him, "Your father is a monster! He deserves to be punished for this. You need to get away from him?" She reiterates, "We have to call my dad."_

_The anxiety rises in the young man as he sees that Veronica is determined to do what she thinks is right. This is a lot worse than when Lilly, Duncan and Meg found out. Horrified he watches as she pulls her cell phone out of her pocket. Reacting to the threat of her calling the Sheriff, he reaches over and forcibly takes her cell phone from her._

_She looks at him with open mouthed shock and a little fear._

_On with the story_

Veronica's shock turns into annoyance and she puts out her hand and orders, "Give me back my phone Logan."

Moving the phone further away from the upset young woman, Logan shakes his head and states, "You can't tell your father."

Taken aback by his proclamation, she says incredulously, "Of course we have to tell him. Your dad whipped you." When Logan continues to hold the phone away, she adds her voice rising with her upset, "He should be in jail."

The misunderstood 09er looks at his indignant and upset girlfriend with trepidation. She is really set on telling her father. How can he convince her that her dad would not be able to help? She probably thinks her father is superman.

"It is not your place to interfere. It is my life," he tells her firmly.

Anxious and really puzzled she looks at his face and sees his worry. She steps forward and says firmly, "He has to be stopped Logan." Her voice cracks and she adds, "Look at your back. You shouldn't have to put up with that." Her eyes tear and she looks imploringly at her boyfriend. She puts her hand out for her phone.

Logan makes no move to give her back her phone. He starts to feel a little panic set in. She is so set on what she thinks needs to be done. She is obviously distraught; a small part of him is touched that she wants to protect him. The bigger part of him is terrified that she will tell her father.

Deciding to take control of the situation he calms his voice and states unequivocally, "There is no point telling your dad. I will just deny it."

The breath is knocked out of her. Faintly she says, "What?" The Sheriff's daughter could not be more dismayed. Although she doesn't know a lot about the law, she knows that if Logan denies the abuse his father will never be charged.

He knows she is shocked and she doesn't understand. He repeats, "I will deny my father touched me."

Veronica puts her hand to her chest and asks, "But why?" To Logan's consternation, the tears pool and spill over from her beautiful eyes and she physically shakes with her upset. Immediately he takes the few steps to touch her; his strong need to comfort her overriding his worry for the moment.

Wrapped in his strong arms, she leans into his warmth; needing to feel him, hear his heart beat, absorb him. It is like deep inside she feels frozen; with soul numbing cold that comes with deep emotions. Shaking she feels like she will never be warm again. Her mind was racing with questions about the abuse but now it has slowed down and she is paralyzed with the picture of the markings on his back and the pain he must have been in when he was being whipped. Her one thought is that the abuse won't be stopped because for some unfathomable reason, Logan won't admit to it.

Logan holds her trembling body to his, rubbing her back with one arm and holding the back of her head with his other hand. She is now crying and he doesn't know how to explain the situation so she would understand. How could this wonderful, special, loving girl who grew up with a strong, moral, loving father possibly understand the dichotomy of his life; the outwardly happy, perfect family versus the ugliness and violence under the façade? How can words paint the picture for her? The fact is he doesn't want her to see the disease under the surface. If she sees the real him, she will be repulsed. Under the handsome exterior lies a weak, pathetic, unlovable boy whose own father hates him and his mother and sister do not care enough about him to protect him.

When her cries quiet, Logan goes to pull away only to have her grasp his hips and hold him to her. She doesn't want to touch his back; hurt him anymore but she doesn't want to leave his warmth yet.

Logan is overwhelmed by her need to stay close to him. She doesn't know it but her desire to hold him; to not let him go is punching through his barriers faster than anything she might say. The fact she is not physically repulsed by his weakness and the ugliness that is his life, is deeply shocking to the young man who has rarely experienced true acceptance. He pulls her back into his body and just savors the closeness he feels with her.

Finally she lifts her head and looks up at her boyfriend. Her voice is husky from crying and she asks plaintively, "Logan, why won't you let my dad help you?"

The young man sighs deeply and tells her, "Because he can't Veronica." Before she can open her mouth to assure him that he is wrong, Logan adds, "Other people have tried and it is not possible."

The appalled young girl tries to take in the fact that other people know and yet the abuse is still happening. She questions, "Other people know about this?"

Nodding Logan tells her, "Policemen, doctors, nurses, lawyers, my dad's agent, housekeepers, our driver, teachers…" His voice trails off when he sees the anguish on her face.

He knows it will be hard to explain, but he lets go of her and reaches around behind him grasping her hands and stepping out of her fierce embrace. He holds her hands pulling her into the bedroom over to the couch.

Once they are both seated he turns and faces her. "I know you probably won't totally understand this but the wealthy are not subject to the same laws as everyone else. They can buy the best lawyers and they have influences with powerful people who can help them bypass the normal way through the justice system."

Veronica does understand what Logan is telling her. Her father has been a police officer for many years. When she was younger, she heard him tell her mother about cases where he had good evidence but a judge would not give him a warrant or the DA decided not to press charges. Although she is idealistic, she does understand the way the system works.

Logan adds, "In addition to his wealth and power, my dad has public perception on his side." He reaches over and takes her hand and squeezes it gently. "I have been in the hospital quite a few times over the years. My dad has always been able to charm and manipulate everyone into believing his story about my injuries no matter how implausible it was." His voice a little wooden he finishes, "If he can't manipulate people who find out with charm or threats, he buys them off."

To reinforce his point he continues, "I get your father is a good Sheriff and would do everything he can to help me but he is only one link in the chain. Even if your dad gathered enough evidence, took pictures and I gave a statement, nothing would happen to my father. My father and his lawyers would ensure that witnesses would change their statements, the evidence would be circumstantial and the public will believe my father over any policeman or lawyer. The DA would be difficult to persuade to press charges because his re election depends on the backing of the wealthy. In the end, nothing would change."

He looks over to the door of the pool house and continues his voice a little wooden, "My mother would not make it through the stress of the trial; she is not strong enough." Looking back at Veronica he finishes, "Your father doesn't stand a chance and the fact is, nothing would change for me."

Veronica doesn't know what to think. Faced with Logan's absolute belief that no one can help him because of the power his father yields financially and socially, she backs down from her rigid stance of telling her father. She needs to think about what can be done. On one hand she can see Logan's point about how difficult it would be to use the justice system. On the other hand she is not ready to accept that Logan can't be protected somehow. After talking to him she is not sure what would be best to do. She feels confused and the weight of the decision is heavy on her shoulders.

She asks him the question that she most needs to know, "Does he hurt your mom?"

Before she can continue he holds up a hand and says, "He doesn't hit her or Trina."

Relieved her mind goes onto why his mother didn't protect him.

Correctly anticipating her next question, Logan explains, "She is so emotionally beaten down. Now it's pills and booze to get through each day." He adds firmly, "Once I am eighteen, I get my inheritance from my grandfather and I will leave and take my mom away from him."

"Logan," she blurts out, "That is a year and a half away."

Nodding he reassures her, "I don't see my father very often." He sees her frown and adds, "I'll be OK. I've dealt with it for a long time."

Too late he sees that he has opened another can of worms for Veronica. She questions, "How long?"

Looking away from her, he takes a deep breath and answers, "The first time he put me in the hospital, I was five."

Deeply disturbed, she abruptly stands and looks down at him in horror. "Five?" she repeats, her voice rising at the end in indignation.

He stands and walks the few steps to stand in front of her. Slowly he reaches over and gently lifts her chin. Apologizing he says, "I'm sorry you found out and are upset."

Immediately frowning she says, "I am not upset I found out. I am upset you are hurt and I don't want you to be hurt again."

He is a little taken aback at her vemonence. Looking up at him she softens her stance and says, "I care about you. I can't stand that you are hurt by him."

Touched he caresses her cheek and runs his hand through her hair settling his hand behind her head. "I know." Pushing his advantage he says, "Look Veronica. You have to promise me that you won't say anything to anyone about this." When she doesn't immediately promise he begs worriedly, "Please."

"I can't do that," she says sadly.

He knows she is upset but he can't let her endanger his mother. "It is my life Veronica. You can't just step in and make decisions when you don't understand everything that is going on. It isn't your decision; it's mine."

"He could kill you," she bursts out. "I can't just stand by when you could be really hurt."

Logan desperately retorts, "He won't."

Frustrated at the whole situation and the fact there doesn't seem to be any answers, she challenges, "You don't know that."

Angry and upset himself he spits out, "Ok, I don't know, but there isn't anything I can do."

The two upset teenagers face each other; neither knowing what is best or what can be done to change the situation. Finally Logan says, "Look it is late. We can't do anything about it tonight. Let's just leave it for now. My dad is in LA. I am safe right now."

Unhappy, but not seeing any other viable option right now, Veronica agrees with a small nod of her head.

He steps in and wraps his arms around her pulling her back into his body. "Promise me that you won't say anything to anyone about this until we can talk."

Reluctantly she promises. He is safe right now and she really needs some time to think about the whole thing. She doubts she will get the vision of the markings on his back out of her mind any time soon.

Logan leans down and kisses her. Raising her hands to his hair, she responds. The kiss is emotional and loving. Logan pulls her even closer and he is deeply affected by this girl he is holding. She obviously cares about him and it is a good feeling for him; one he is not used to.

The moment is broken by the vibration and ringing of her cell phone in his pocket. They couple pulls apart and Veronica breathlessly says, "That's my dad. I am late."

Pulling out the phone, he slowly hands it to her worried about the impending conversations she is going to have with her father.

Taking the phone she depresses the button to talk. She answers, "Dad," and then listens for a few seconds.

Unsettled, he listens while she apologizes and tells her father that she went over to see Logan after work and forgot the time. She tells him she will be home in a few minutes and then puts the phone in her pocket after she says goodbye.

Gently she puts her hand on his shoulder and asks, "Before I go, is there anything I can do to help your back?"

He hesitates and she presses, "You can't reach it. Is there some cream or something that helps?"

"There is some cream the doctor gave me in my room," he reluctantly shares. His back is burning and the cream does help prevent infection and ease the pain.

She picks up her purse and puts her hand out for his trying to hide her anger that some doctor saw his markings and didn't report it. She silently vows that she is going to find out the name of this doctor and make him pay somehow. It will be on her list after trying to find a way to get Logan away from his sick, abusive father.

As it turns out, finding out the doctor's name is easy; it is on the tube of cream she uses on his lashes. It is a Dr. Joel Pendleton. As she gently puts cream on his lashes, she memorizes the name of the man who saw these markings and said nothing.

_End of the Semester_

In the beginning of December, Logan and Veronica are surprised to find that out that they are now called the LoVe couple. Although most of the school still believed that Lilly and Logan would be getting back together, they got very used to seeing Logan and Veronica together.

Erica had taken great pleasure in teasing them both about how the first letters of each of their names came together to spell love and how it was fated they were together. Veronica merely frowned at her but Logan had secretly liked the thought and it gave him a direction to go for her Christmas present. He was thinking of having a necklace made for her. Now he decided that he would get the word LoVe engraved on the pendant and have her birthstone put in the 'o'.

Logan, through his press contacts, found out who sent the picture of her in her 'jelly belly' to the tabloids. Veronica frowns and says, "I don't really know who that is."

Agreeing he says, "I don't either."

Veronica is relieved that it wasn't one of their friends but a little sickened that this guy followed them around and took their picture. She says, "How much money did he make?"

Shrugging Logan tells her it was a couple of thousand. Although that is not a lot of money to Logan, Veronica can see where someone could be tempted by it. Wrapping her arms around her boyfriend she says, "Even if he had a good reason for doing it, I think we need to persuade him that it is not in his best interests to follow us around and invade our privacy."

Nodding he looks down at his girlfriend and asks, "What did you have in mind?"

Unsure what would be a good punishment, she contemplates, "He didn't care that he hurt my reputation and jeopardized my father's reelection chances. Plus he damaged your father's public image decreasing his chances of getting the parts he wants." Logan watching his girlfriend as she thinks aloud nods in agreement. Biting her lip she says, "It needs to be public enough to show him how it feels but embarassing enough to be a message to anyone else who is tempted by the money." She looks up at her boyfriend and points out, "You are better with revenge. I think I will let you handle it."

Smirking he tells her, "I know just the thing."

A few days later, Veronica and Logan walk into school. There is a commotion by the flag pole. The crowd parts and lets the couple through to see what is happening. When they get close, they see a freshman student taped naked to the pole. Logan stops in front of the young man and prounounces, "Frank Jones, I presume?"

The crowd and the humiliated young man immediately understand that it was Logan who ordered him taped to the pole. Logan looks at his girlfriend and questions, "Aren't you a photographer for the yearbook?"

"I am," she answers easily.

The leader of the 09ers continues, "I am thinking of paying for a full page in this year's edition. Perhaps you could take the picture for me?"

Veronica pulls her camera out from her bag, takes the lens cap off and shoots a few pictures. Logan waits patiently while she focuses and shoots the picture from a few angles. When she is done he asks her, "Freedom of the press is important, don't you think Veronica?"

"It is," she answers as she puts away her camera. Looking up at her boyfriend she adds, "It is also important for the photographer and writer to use good judgement though."

Wrapping his arm around his girlfriend, he leads her away stating, "I can see why you are at the top of our class."

The students standing around watch Logan and Veronica walk together into the school. Logan has just made it very clear that there is a price to pay for selling a picture or story of him or Veronica to the tabloids. The 09er guys follow them into the school leaving the young man to think about the situation.

December finds Veronica busier than ever. In addition to her usual load of working, school work, visiting with Marie, and keeping care of her puppy, Veronica added a few new projects to her already overloaded schedule. The soccer team was practicing extra hard as playoffs started next week. She finished the photography portion of her project with Marie and was now working on the music for it. Lynn Echolls had arranged for Veronica and Derek to professionally record the song together. Although Veronica was grateful for Derek's help with the recording, he had asked her in return to sing with him at the school Christmas pageant. Apparently Madison Sinclair had decided to sing alone and had left Derek in the lurch only two weeks ahead of the concert. Veronica did not relish singing in front of the school but she also did not want to let Derek down. The only time she could fit in rehearsals in her already overfull schedule was at lunch. In addition Veronica was busy working on the annual firefighters 'Toys for Christmas' project. They collected toys for children who would not get gifts.

Veronica, despite being crazy busy, is really happy with her life right now. She is still number one in her class. Her father is enjoying his job and they are as close as ever. Marie is in remission and she is starting to get her hair back and soon she would not need to be wearing scarves to cover her bare head as her own hair would be long enough to be stylish. Back Up is doing well with his training and Veronica has not had to worry about hiding her shoes or chasing him down the beach after he ran from her. The soccer team made district playoffs this year, the yearbook committee was pleased with the pictures she submitted and her photography teacher absolutely loved the pictures and song she and Marie submitted for her final project.

Happily the answer to her problem with Aaron abusing Logan came when she was 'hypothetically' talking to her grandfather. He is a police captain in Seattle. Veronica loves him; he is so much like her father. They are police officers, strong moral men and loving fathers. She had ended up promising Logan not to say anything to her father or anyone. She had not promised not to hypothetically talk to her grandfather. He easily agreed to keep the 'hypothetical' information from her father surprising her by agreeing with Logan's assessment that it would be very difficult to successfully prosecute Aaron Echolls if Logan and his mother did not cooperate. He pointed out that Aaron's lawyers could easily make Lynn look like an incompetent parent who is addicted to drugs and alcohol and Logan has been in the press a lot acting out. It would not be difficult to convince people he was lying even if he agreed to come forward. Her grandfather understood better than anyone that his son would have difficulty getting re elected if he was seen to go after Aaron Echolls.

He had easily handled her indignation that Aaron seemed to have more rights as the abuser. She was young and idealistic. He loved that about her. Reassuring her that he would handle the information and that he would work on the problem from his end was exactly what Veronica needed to hear. Her grandfather never let her down and when he said that he knew just what to do, she trusted him and left the situation in his capable hands.

He let her vent her upset about Aaron and Lynn. He deflated her anger that Lynn should have left Aaron and protected Logan. After her talk with her grandfather she understood that Lynn is also a victim and feels powerless. He advised her to become a source of support for Lynn as she and Logan will need her strength when they get away from Aaron. Veronica, although still upset, could see that he knew what he was talking about and she was inclined to take his advice. He could tell she was truly worried that Aaron would kill Logan. He gave her some good advice on how to unobtrusively make it clear to Aaron that if he beat Logan again, someone would find out. Veronica immediately put his ideas into effect.

Best of all, since Logan decided not to get back with Lilly, the barriers that were up between them were gone. They grew closer and closer. Veronica was thrilled with their relationship. She hadn't been looking for it but she is in love with Logan. He is so loving, caring and open with her. The physical part of their relationship is exciting; Logan is a skilled and giving lover. Veronica does not understand why Lilly would look elsewhere when she was dating a guy like Logan who was the whole package.

On one of her rare Saturday nights off from work, Logan planned a romantic date with her. He said he wanted to spoil her and show her how much she means to him. Although she had been leery of letting Logan loose to plan a date, she had dutifully found a dress and shoes to wear when shopping with Meg. After getting advice from his mother, Logan booked a private dining room at the Neptune Grande. Going all out, he ordered a limo and wore a black Armani suit with a white shirt and red tie. Veronica looked beautiful and sexy in a strapless short black dress that hugged her trim figure nicely. She wore three inch black heels and had her beautiful long hair pulled into a side pony tail. As usual she wore minimal makeup and Logan was attracted to her natural beauty. He led her over to the kitchen counter and gave her the box of a dozen red roses he bought her. When she opened them, she was thrilled at their beauty and put them in a vase. The dinner was superb; five courses and they had a private waiter. In between courses they danced; the hotel band could be heard in their private room. The band played faster music and the couple enjoyed dancing together. Logan was an experienced dancer and Veronica followed his lead easily. Just before dessert a slow romantic set played and Logan held Veronica close. With her high shoes, he was able to smell her hair and perfume without bending his neck and she was able to tuck her head perfectly under his chin. The couple drifted to the music and just enjoyed the feelings between them. It was the most romantic dinner Veronica had ever had. She had floated in his arms satiated with the food, music and his presence. After dinner Logan had the limo take them to their place. He carefully escorted her to look out over the spectacular ocean view placing a small blanket for her to sit on the over the log. He had brought a picnic basket with champagne and chocolates. She had leaned into his arms and the view was absolutely breathtaking with the waves coming into shore and the moon over the water. They sat together and just held each other; each not wanting the night to end and not wanting to be apart from the other. The absolute silence between them was accompanied by the sound of the wind and the waves hitting the beach. For Veronica, it was the perfect ending to a perfect night. For Logan, it was the moment he truly realized that he can be happy.

Logan squeezes Veronica gently and tells her, "I know we haven't been really dating very long but I am so happy with you." Reaching up he gently traces her lips, "I am falling in love with you."

His soft words and the beautiful moment bring tears to her eyes. She wraps her arms around his neck and looks into his eyes, "I am falling in love with you too Logan."

Their lips meet and the feelings rise between them. Logan reaches around her and slowly undoes the back zipper on her dress.

_Logan's POV_

Logan for his part enjoys the changes in his life. Surprising everyone, he transferred to AP English and History. His grades were improving as he put more effort into his classroom work. In order to spend time with Veronica, he studied with her a couple of nights a week. The truth was he actually didn't mind. He found that Veronica was right; being in class with motivated students actually allowed the teacher to teach in more depth and Logan found the classes to be more interesting. A little embarrassed at how in the past he had disrupted classes and been disrespectful to his teachers, he was more attentive in his other classes. He had an easy A in math and had an A in both English and History. His only low grade was in science and he studied for the final while Veronica studied for all her courses.

His weekly article for the school paper ensured that he got an A in Journalism and recently he had started staying after school to help Duncan choose articles and layouts for the paper. Mrs. Dent was impressed and made Logan an editor for the paper next year.

Amazingly with his extra work in journalism and participation in FBLA; along with the improvement in his grades, the school counselor felt that he would easily get accepted into a lot of colleges when he graduated. She helped him plan out his senior year of high school so he had all the required courses for college entrance.

He didn't see Lilly often and since he told her that he thought it would be better if they didn't date anymore, she mostly ignored him. They aren't in classes together. She sits with her friends at lunch and Logan sits with his friends. Although he misses her, he knows that it is better for him to be away from Lilly. He hopes that someday they can get back to being real friends again.

Meg is still dating Leo and she seems really happy with their relationship. Her parents approve of him. Faced with her relationship with the law enforcement officer, her father has really backed off his 'training' of her. Meg is relieved that her ordeal is almost over but is really worried about her younger sister. Leo has told Meg that when she turns eighteen, he will help her get information against her parents and get Grace away from them.

Duncan does not date anyone steady. Since Logan is tied up with Veronica, Duncan is now the most sought after guy in the school. He has been going on dates but never the same girl twice.

Logan enjoys surfing a few times each week and at least once a week, Veronica joins him. She is getting better at surfing and he thinks that he will take her to Mexico during the summer. She will love the beaches and the waves will be a little more challenging for her. It is so wonderful to share his love of surfing with her.

In addition, his mother loves Veronica and they have become friends. He can't even describe how he feels when he sees his mother and Veronica together. Veronica started by asking his mother to lunch one Saturday. Apparently after hearing Veronica talk about Marie, Lynn wanted to stop at her house and meet her. Cynthia had been thrilled to meet Lynn and they had a nice cup of tea together while Veronica helped Marie with her homework. When she talked to Logan about her afternoon with Veronica, Cynthia and Marie, his mother's voice was animated and she smiled genuinely. Logan had listened, thrilled at her obvious happiness. Since that first outing, Veronica and his mother made time to see each other whenever Lynn was in Neptune. They have gone shopping, to the theater and they have made plans to go to the spa together. Lynn is teaching Veronica about art and the paintings she has bought. The other day Veronica was talking to someone on her phone and when Logan walked in the door she said, "Lynn, Logan is here now. Did you want to talk to him?" He had taken her phone and talked to his mother for a few minutes pretending to be outwardly upset his girlfriend talks more to his mother than him, but inwardly thrilled at how much they like each other.

Surprisingly Veronica agreed to keep his secret about his abuse. He could see she was not happy about it but she respected it was his decision. In return for her silence he had to agree to call her if his dad hurt him. More importantly, she didn't think he was weak or pathetic; she was impressed that he took the punishment to protect his mother and sister. She actually thought he was strong.

At the next supper with his family, she had happily talked about how her father liked Logan and then showed his father and mother pictures of the three of them at the beach together on her lap top. One particular picture has a smiling Keith Mars posing with Logan with his arm around the young man's shoulders. Both men are wearing bathing suits and Keith has on a t- shirt. In the next picture, Veronica is posing with her father and dog. In yet another picture, the two teenagers and Keith are posing together. The final picture has Veronica on Logan's back with her chin on his shoulder. They are both laughing for the camera and it is clear that she has jumped on his back just before the picture was taken. Logan told his parents how Back Up is becoming a good guard dog and how protective he is of Veronica. He did not understand why Veronica wanted to show his parents the pictures but his mother had been pleased that Veronica's father liked Logan. She had teased him, "I think that Sheriff Mars might be the first father who likes you."

Logan did notice that his father wasn't happy that Logan was growing close to Veronica's father. He had changed the subject to Veronica's photography project and she had easily shut the window with her personal pictures and opened one with the pictures she took for photography project. Weirdly Veronica had been very happy after the dinner with his parents. She had pushed him down onto his bed and proceeded to make him forget anything but his name.

December in the Echolls' house is a busy time. There are a lot of mandatory parties in the 09er district and in LA for Logan and his parents to attend. Logan plans his Christmas poker party and stays out of his mother's way while she plans the annual Echolls' Christmas Extravaganza. He is nervous about his father being home for the week before Christmas but he is happy that he and his parents will be spending Christmas with his mother's parents and then New Year's in New York. Although it means he will be away from Veronica and his friends, it also means that he will be able to easily avoid his father's wrath.

The first party in December is always at the Kane Mansion. Logan finds himself dressed in a black suit with a red shirt and a festive Christmas tie standing with a few of his 09er friends after performing the requisite walkabout with his parents. The group is discussing where they are all going for Christmas and New Year's. Shelley is really pleased that her family is going to Paris for the holidays. Casey will be spending time with his grandmother and John's family is going to be in Hawaii. The Kane children will be in Napa as usual. Madison asks everyone if they will be able to meet in Aspen for New Year's and Dick is really stoked to ski and of course, party. Logan smiles at Cassidy as he hates to ski and will be stuck in the cold over the holidays.

A couple of hours into the party, the teenagers are dismissed and go to the games room and theatre room to relax and get away from the adults. Logan takes off his jacket and tie and relaxes with his friends. He takes his turn playing video games. The talk is lively and it is an enjoyable evening for the teenagers now they are away from their parents. Duncan sits next to Logan and he talks with Logan about how for Christmas his parents are getting him his own vehicle. He and the guys discuss what he should order. Dick and Cassidy are both getting new surf boards and Dick tells the guys how they are getting them specially made by a guy in Hawaii.

Logan knows his parents will be one of the last couples to leave so he resigns himself to not seeing Veronica until tomorrow. Tonight she is attending the banquet and dance for the Neptune Police and Fire Department. He wishes he could be with her or she could be with him but unfortunately the parties are on the same night. Veronica is excited because Marie is going to attend the event for a little while. Meg is at the banquet and dance with Leo. Veronica and Meg went shopping with Marie and helped her choose a new dress. Meg has grown fond of Marie and she told Logan that she insisted on paying for Marie's dress as her Christmas gift. She bought her a beautiful dark green dress that really suited her coloring. They both went over to Marie's in the afternoon to get ready with her. Logan hopes they are all having a good time.

Listening to his friends talk, Logan thinks about how things have changed this year. He never would have guessed last year that Duncan and Meg would break up and that he and Lilly would be through for good.

Partway through the evening the teenagers head to the kitchen for something to eat. Logan finds himself standing next to Lilly. She looks stunning in a short black halter dress with high black heels. Her parents bought her a magnificent diamond necklace and earring set and they sparkle in the bright kitchen lights. He turns to look at her when she puts her hand on his arm. Surprisingly her mood has been subdued tonight. She has not been the center of attention. She is not trying to embarrass her parents. Searching for a neutral topic, he asks, "Lil, are you excited about Christmas with your grandparents?"

Shaking her head she leans in and quietly asks, "Logan, can we talk in private?"


	17. Chapter 17

_Story so Far: AU. Veronica is the daughter of Sheriff Mars. Logan and Lilly are on an off period when Logan sees Veronica in her soccer uniform. He is really attracted to her but she doesn't want to be an interim girl. They decide to date but keep their relationship private. They both agree to just enjoy what is between them as long as it lasts. Time goes by and soon they have been dating a few months. It has been a revelation for Logan to date Veronica. He decides not to go back to Lilly and give his relationship with Veronica a real chance. For a school project Veronica wears a baby bump and is photographed with Logan. Both their parents are unhappy. Veronica discovers that Aaron abuses Logan and Logan persuades her not to call her father. She does however 'hypothetically' tell her grandfather. Logan and Veronica grow closer._

Sunday afternoon Veronica opens the door to see her handsome boyfriend. She smiles happily and rushes out to give him a hug and kiss in welcome. Keeping her arms around his neck she chirps, "This is a surprise."

Logan is touched by her obvious happiness to see him. He smiles down at her and teases gently, "A nice surprise I hope?"

Grinning up at him she answers, "Of course." Pulling her arms away from his neck she takes his hand and pulls him into the living room. Logan follows her in and bends down to greet her excited white and brown pit bull puppy.

Veronica heads into the kitchen and Logan listens as she is asking him if he wants something to drink. He calls out "Water if you have it." He hears her washing her hands. A few seconds later the buzzer on the oven goes off. Logan takes a deep breath; his eyes twinkle as he recognizes that Veronica is baking. He hears her voice, "I thought you were going over to see Dick and Cassidy this afternoon?"

With a last pat to the receptive pit bull, Logan stands and follows his girlfriend into the kitchen area. When he arrives in the kitchen, Veronica is putting a tray of cookies into the oven. Logan walks over to where there are a few dozen cookies cooling on the island. Sitting on the other side of the island, he reaches up and takes a cookie. Taking a bite, he closes his eyes in pleasure as he tastes the mixture of flavors. After he swallows, he answers her question. "I wanted to see you."

The petit blond smiles flattered that her boyfriend misses her when they don't see each other. Putting more dough on the next cookie sheet she shares, "I wish you could have been at the banquet last night."

Logan thinks he wishes he was there for different reasons than her but he agrees, "I wish I had been there."

Completely missing Logan's tone, Veronica enthusiastically talks about how she and Meg went over and got ready with Marie. Her face is happy as she describes how excited Marie was to have her nails done and to dress in her new beautiful dress and shoes. She goes over and gets her camera from where she left it by the door and shows Logan some of the pictures on the LCD screen.

Logan looks at the picture and whistles softly, "You looked so beautiful." He leans over and kisses her softly whispering, "So sexy."

Veronica sees the look her boyfriend is giving her and is really pleased at how much he wants her.

Leaning up she gives him a deeper kiss. When it is over she looks at her camera and enlarges the picture of Marie in the new dress that Meg bought her. Logan sees that Marie is not wearing a scarf and her hair has grown out a little. She is smiling happily for the camera posing with her family and then with Meg and Veronica. Veronica looks at the picture of her and Marie and she shares, "It was so wonderful to see Marie dressed up and dancing." Her voice shaking a little with her emotions, she tells Logan, "She has been so great throughout all of the tests and the chemo."

Logan wraps his arms around her and gently kisses the top of her head. He agrees, "She has."

The oven dings and Veronica puts her camera down on the island and goes over to pull the cookies out of the oven. She puts the pan on the top of the stove and then puts the next pan of cookies in the oven.

Logan watches as Veronica carefully lifts the cookies off the sheet onto the cooling mat on the island. He listens as Veronica happily tells him what a success the banquet and dance were and how much money was raised for the fundraiser. "We will be able to get gifts for all the children on the list," she excitedly adds.

This happy, carefree Veronica is a powerful draw for him. Her arms wave as she talks and her beautiful blue eyes are so light colored that they actually twinkle when she talks. Her really good mood makes what he has to tell her even harder. He has to tell her though; the 09ers at the party will be gossiping about what they saw. He doesn't want Veronica to be blindsided by gossip at school tomorrow.

Turning to look at her boyfriend after she puts the cookie sheet into the dishwasher, Veronica sees that Logan looks a little worried. Tilting her head a little at him in question, she asks, "Late night?"

Nodding Logan talks about how his parents were one of the last couples to leave so he didn't get to bed until late. While she listens to him, she puts the last of the cookie dough on the two remaining cookie sheets so they are ready for their turn in the oven. While she is working she listens as he talks about who was at the party and catches her up on the gossip. She in turn talks about how Mac and Erica had fun dancing with all the single deputies and firefighters.

Finally caught up with her baking chores she goes over and opens the fridge pulling out two waters. Turning her full attention to her boyfriend she walks over to where Logan is standing and hands one of the waters to him. He takes it from her and twists the lid breaking the seal. Opening the lid, he takes a long drink.

Veronica sits on the stool next to Logan and turns to face him. He looks really handsome today but she can see that he is tired. It doesn't look like he got much sleep last night.

The tall 09er sitting on the stool turns slightly to face her. He sees that she is patiently waiting for him talk to her. It is one of the things he really likes about her; the way she has of listening to him and carefully watching him.

Logan's fingers drum on the top of the island as he thinks about how to word what he has to tell her.

Concerned Veronica reaches over and puts her hand over his on the island. "You can tell me anything," she assures the nervous young man.

Logan feels even worse for what he has to tell her.

Across town Cynthia is putting lasagna in the oven. The salad is made and she has set the table. Marie and Derek are at the fire hall helping to organize some of the donations that came in today. Her mp3 player is playing her Christmas playlist and Cynthia is humming to one of her most favorite Christmas songs. Last night was so much fun! Times they are together with their family and friends are even more precious now. Everything means more now since cancer came into their home...

Going over to the fridge she puts away the extra cheese. The calendar on the front of the fridge catches her eye as she closes the door. Wednesday is the last blood work of this year for Marie. She closes her eyes in prayer that the results stay positive and that in the New Year Marie can start getting tested every three and then every six months. This has been a rough year and she hopes that next year will be a better year for them. Looking through the doorway she sees the Christmas tree all decorated and the gifts under. She would gladly give up every Christmas, birthday, anniversary and mother's day gift if Marie would stay in remission and beat this cancer. It's the season for miracles. That is all she wants this year; a miracle.

Logan looks over at Veronica. She looks so beautiful! She is wearing pink sweat pants and a white t shirt. Over the t shirt she is wearing a really cute apron with an elf on the front and the sign over the elf's head says 'Santa's Workshop'. She has a smudge of flour on her cheek. Her long blond hair is pulled up into a messy pony tail. He hasn't dated a girl that cooks or bakes before. He really likes that she is not always dressed to the nines and she doesn't always have her hair and make up perfect. She is so real to him.

Carefully he puts his free hand over the one she has on put on top of his on the island. He tentatively starts, "I have something I have to tell you."

Worried at his tone she says, "Ok."

Looking at her and how concerned she is about him, Logan doesn't even know where to start. He knows what he has to say is going to upset her and he definitely doesn't want her to be hurt but he has to tell her what happened.

Taking a deep breath he starts, "At the party last night…" The front door opens and both teenagers look into the living room towards the interruption. Veronica smiles at her father who, upon entering, gets a look of bliss on his face as he smells the cookies. He bends down to pet Back Up. Although Veronica is pleased to see her dad, Logan is frustrated. He just got the nerve up to talk to Veronica and then they got interrupted.

Keith Mars is tired. This is a really busy time of year at work. Although the Christmas season can bring out the giving side of some of the citizens of Neptune, there is an increase in violent crime as well as of course thefts. He has spent the day helping out at the station. Coming home to Veronica is always the best part of his day; coming home on baking day is even better.

Immediately Veronica gets off her chair and waves her father to sit down. Concerned she asks, "Are you finally home to get some sleep?" Although she is proud of what a good sheriff her father is, she worries at the long hours he works. Last night he got called in after they got home from the dance. He has been at the station since then. She imagines that he will rest for a while and probably go back in late tonight or very early tomorrow.

Exhausted Keith walks over and sits beside Logan at the island. He nods and leans his head on his elbow. Reaching across he takes a cookie off the cooling pad and bites into it. Veronica opens the fridge and gets out the milk. She pours her father a glass and takes it over to him. Smiling his thanks he dips the rest of his cookie in the milk and takes another bite.

Veronica goes back over to the fridge and while she is putting the milk away, she pulls out a sandwich. She also pulls out some mustard and ketchup and then puts it all on the island in front of her father. She says, "This is the leftover roast from the other night."

Keith smiles at his daughter. She amazes him sometimes. She is so busy herself but always makes time to look after him. He unwraps the sandwich and then busies himself putting the mustard on. "Thanks for this."

"No problem pops," she tells him as she pulls the cookies out when the buzzer goes off. She puts the last two cookie sheets in the oven and then as she listens to Logan and her father talk, she puts the cookies off the warm pans onto the cooling sheet. She is satisfied with her morning's work. She got some studying done, did the Christmas baking for the deputies and cleaned the house.

Logan tells Keith about his grades and they talk about what Logan has planned over Christmas and New Year's. Keith finishes his sandwich, milk and cookies when the oven buzzes. Opening the door Veronica inspects them and is pleased that they are a golden brown. She pulls them out of the oven as Keith bids goodnight to the two teenagers even though it is only one in the afternoon. The shower starts running shortly after and Veronica puts the last two trays in the dishwasher. She walks over and stands in front of Logan and says, "Let's take Back Up for a walk and we can talk privately."

Grateful that she understands he may not want to talk with her father home, he stands and watches as she takes off her apron and then gets a sweater for their walk. Back Up is excited and bounces happily at her feet getting in her way as she tries to get ready.

Laughing, Logan gets his leash, attaches it to his collar and leads him over to the door. A little exasperated Veronica comments, "I think this," she waves towards the exuberant puppy, "is Dad's equivalent to the robot baby."

"That is actually not a bad idea," Logan comments as he opens the door for Veronica and firmly holds the strong puppy from running out the door with the petit young woman.

Veronica laughs as she listens to Logan admonishing her dog for not being a gentleman. The young couple walks on the beach taking turns throwing the ball in the vain hope of burning some of the energy off the puppy. It is a beautiful day for December; a perfect day to spend time outdoors.

Finally Veronica pulls Logan over to a bench so they can sit. Back Up lies down beside the bench and watches the birds fly over the water. Turning to face her boyfriend she asks, "What did you want to talk to me about?"

She can see that he has been quieter than usual today and knows that something is bothering him. She hopes that it doesn't have anything to do with his father. She is worried that perhaps his plans for the Christmas vacation changed and he may not be as safe from his father.

Turning to face her Logan starts again, "At the party last night Lilly asked to talk to me privately."

Immediately Veronica sees that this talk and Logan's worries are not about his father. She listens as Logan explains that he hasn't talked to her much since they broke up and especially since he decided they were better off not dating. He tells her about how he has noticed that she has been quiet lately and how at the party she wasn't acting out and trying to upset her parents.

A sense of dread rises in Veronica's chest. She can see his concern for his ex girlfriend. Logan sees Veronica's expression change from one of concern for him to worry about what he is going to tell her. He gets to the point, "Lilly told me that she still loves me and she wants to get back together." He adds, "She is sorry how she treated me and she wants to get back together for good. No more break ups;. No more other guys; just me."

Shocked and dismayed, Veronica looks at her boyfriend and sees he is upset. She hesitates and then asks, "What did you say to her when she told you that?"

There is a telling pause before Logan speaks and Veronica deep inside knows the answer. She jumps up and bursts out, "You are breaking up with me?"

Logan immediately grasps her hand and says, "No, Ronnie, not exactly." He pulls her back down to sit on the bench. Letting go of her hand he runs his hand through his hair. It is obvious he is agitated. He adds, "It's complicated."

Veronica sits back down and looks at him. She steels herself to ask, "Do you want to get back with her?"

He looks pained. He looks at the ground and takes a deep breath. Her thoughts are racing with questions but she feels like her heart stops as she waits for his answer. After a few seconds he looks back up at her and admits, "Part of me wants to."

_Tuesday after Lunch_

Logan catches up to Veronica as she walks with Erica and a few of her soccer teammates. He calls out, "Veronica, can I talk to you for a minute?"

The girls all turn and look at him with varying degrees of upset. Erica disbelieving comments, "Now Logan? The first game of the playoffs is this afternoon."

Logan as he walked up behind the girls noticed that the soccer team was wearing their uniforms. He just didn't realize that today was the start of the playoffs. Absorbed in his own thoughts, he had not listened to the announcements this morning.

Sue, pointedly ignoring Logan, looks at Veronica and points out, "Veronica, we have to be at the bus in fifteen minutes."

Although she appreciates how her friends care for her, Veronica intervenes, "It's OK." She reaches her hand in her pocket and pulls out a few dollar bills. Looking at her friend she gently asks, "Could you please get me a yellow power drink and a water? I will meet you at the bus. I'll hydrate on the trip."

Sue reluctantly nods and takes the money. She turns and walks with the other soccer players and Erica towards the athletic area.

Veronica, after they walk away, turns to Logan and asks, "What did you want to talk about?"

He waves her over to a quiet area and, a little sheepishly, tells her, "It can wait. I forgot that playoffs started this week." He walks beside her over to an adjoining hall that is rarely used. It feels awkward not to be able to touch her as they walk together.

Veronica sighs a little and then says a little impatiently, "Whatever you want to tell me is not going to affect how I play soccer in two hours."

Logan looks uncomfortable and puts his hands in his pockets and turns to face her. He shuffles his weight from foot to foot. "I've been doing a lot of thinking since we last talked." He adds, "About everything."

"You might have to be a little more specific," she tells him her face a mask.

He is disconcerted to see that she has retreated behind an emotional wall. He is used to being able to read her thoughts and emotions. He steps a little closer and clarifies, "About us."

When she doesn't respond, he becomes even more uncomfortable. He continues, "I'm still confused and unsure about what I feel."

Although she can see his upset and confusion, she doesn't really know what to say so she stays quiet. She looks up the hallway and then back towards Logan but doesn't meet his gaze.

Logan doesn't know what to think about her lack of response. She is usually so open and easy to talk to. Of course, the last time they talked, he told her he still has some feelings for Lilly and he has feelings for her and he is not sure what to do.

He reaches out to touch her and then withdraws his hand when she steps back. He quickly says, "I didn't mean for this to happen. I really do care for you."

Crossing her arms across her chest she says a little abruptly, "You already told me that Logan."

The tall dark 09er is really disconcerted. He wants to talk to her but he really doesn't know what to say. As usual there are a lot of rumors about him, Lilly and Veronica. He knows how she hates that she is being gossiped about. Most of all, he knows that he really hurt her. He thinks about what he needs to say to her.

Putting his hands in his pockets he tells her, "I guess I just wanted to make sure you are OK."

She meets his gaze for a brief second and he sees the upset in her eyes. She wraps her arms around her tiny body and rubs her arms. Taking a deep breath she tells him, "Look I would really appreciate it if you would leave me out of the Logan/Lilly soap opera from now on."

Immediately defensive, Logan maintains, "I wasn't using you to teach Lilly a lesson. You and I had nothing to do with Lilly and me." Impulsively he takes her hand and reinforces, "What we have is real."

Veronica abruptly pulls her hand out of his and tells him, "It doesn't matter now." She looks towards the athletic area and says, "I should go."

Desperately wanting to make things right, Logan tries, "I will talk to you when I know what I want. I just need a little more time."

Weary she tells him, "I took a chance on you and it didn't work out. Let's just leave it at that."

Upset at her persistent negativeness, he firmly tells her, "It's not like that Veronica. It's complicated."

His statement seems to get a rise out of the young girl. She reaches in her pocket and whips out her phone. Visibly angry, Veronica opens her phone and accesses the video function. She starts a video and plays it for Logan. It is the video of his fight with Lilly in the Quad over Veronica. She pauses it at the end where Lilly's face is triumphant that she has hurt and humiliated Logan.

Veronica holds the phone closer to Logan's face like he can't see what she is trying to show him. She says a little harshly, "She is excited and happy that she hurt you Logan. Yet you are," she makes finger quotes, "unsure how you feel."

Logan looks at her in surprise. He has never really seen the angry side of Veronica.

Veronica shakes her head and shuts the video function off. Suddenly tired, her ire dissipates. Quietly she continues, "I watched your relationship with Lilly over the years. I have seen you two fight viciously and make out passionately. You are right. You two are complicated and I should never have gotten involved with you." Her shoulders slump and she starts walking towards the gym area. She says, "I have to go."

Logan seeing she is leaving grasps her arms and his voice full of emotion pleads, "Just because I am an idiot about Lilly doesn't mean that I didn't care about you because I do." He adds bending his head to meet her gaze full on, "I need you to know that I wasn't using you or playing you. It's important to me that you see that."

"Well you don't get to decide how I look back on our time together." She pulls her arm out of his grasp and steps back from him.

Logan is visibly upset.

Veronica steps back and bites her bottom lip holding in her emotions. Her eyes have tears that she is not letting fall. Her voice shaky she whispers, "I guess what it comes down to is that we are broken up and it doesn't matter why."

She turns abruptly and walks off towards the gym area. Logan rushes and catches up with her his longer legs. He grabs her arm and turns her to face him. "Veronica I just asked for time. Can you please give me some time to sort out how I feel?"

Angry she pushes him away. "You told me you were sure you were over Lilly. You were the one who wanted to get more serious. Why Logan? Was it all a game?"

"It wasn't a game." Taking a deep breath and letting it out, he tries to calm down. He lowers the tone of his voice and quietly tells her, "I really thought I was over her. I didn't lie to you."

Turning away from him she tells him, "Look I have to go." There is a pause and she says clearly, "Please just leave me alone." She walks off towards the bus. This time Logan just stands and watches her go. He feels so many things right now and doesn't know what to do.

He can see that he has really hurt Veronica. He can see why she is upset with him. He pursued her, convinced her to date him and then assured her he was over Lilly. Then when they are dating and really getting close, he tells her that he still has feelings for his ex-girlfriend and he needs some time to think. Now the rumors are he used Veronica to get Lilly to toe the line. The talk is that Lilly for once begged him to take her back because she was worried about Veronica. Most everyone thinks he never cared about Veronica and he was just using her.

The worst thing is that he can see that Veronica is not sure what to think. She is looking back on her times with him and thinking he was playing her or lying to get what he wanted. He is sick at the thought that she is thinking he was acting the whole time. She thinks he is like his father; using his looks, money and status for sex.

He had an excellent loving, caring relationship with a beautiful, sexy, smart girl who loved him. Instead of being happy with her, he had to fuck it up.

He knows he is an idiot but when Lilly cried in his arms, told him that she missed him and was sorry that she treated him badly, he wanted her back. He still has feelings for her. He is really sick in the head.

_Wednesday morning_

Logan sits in his desk in first period and listens to the announcements. He wants to hear if the girl's soccer team won their playoff game. He has gotten to know a lot of the team and of course, he hopes they win for Veronica's sake.

Part way through the announcements, Meg announces that the girls' soccer team won their playoff game and she gives information on their next game on Thursday. She tells her classmates that three players off the team were named the first all district team. She names Tiffany, Amber and Veronica. Logan smiles pleased for the three girls.

On his way to Math, Logan passes Veronica who is going in the opposite direction. She is accepting congratulations and high fives from people she knows. When she walks past Logan her demeanor changes and she looks away from him as she walks by. Logan feels a jolt in his chest that she is unhappy to see him. He remembers when her face used to light up when she saw him.

Although he understands she is hurt and upset with him, he doesn't know what he could have done differently. They have an honest relationship and he can't keep dating her when he is not sure of his feelings. He couldn't just carry on and not tell her. To him, not telling the truth is lying and he couldn't do that to Veronica. He has never lied to her. When he told her he was through with Lilly and when he told her he was falling in love with her, he wasn't deceiving her; he really thought he was.

He is upset that she completely cut ties with him. He expected her to be hurt and perhaps to even get angry, but he truly thought she would understand he was being honest and was confused. Maybe he had been overly optimistic but he felt like he could talk to Veronica about anything and she would listen and help him sort out his thoughts. He was actually kind of shocked that she hadn't even considered giving him time to find out what he is really feeling. She had not understood his feelings for Lilly and had not taken into consideration that he had loved Lilly for years. No, instead of accepting he was confused and talking things out with him, Veronica had been indignant that he would even ask her to give him time. She had yelled, "Would you wait while I saw Josh or Victor to decide which of you I loved more?" Obviously floundering for words she finally told him, "That just demeans what we had." She had looked at him like he was a monster and then suddenly turned and ran off. He could tell she was crying. He stood there in shock and in horror; he stood in disbelief that their talk had gone so badly.

Since that time, Veronica has completely withdrawn from his life. She had not answered his phone calls or texts. She has not made one attempt to contact him or talk to him. He honestly doesn't know how to deal with her. He knew she wasn't like the 09er girls he knew. He liked that about her but now faced with her upset, he doesn't know how to get her to talk to him. In the past, he has been able to appease his girlfriends by buying an expensive gift. He knows not to even try that with Veronica. He is at a loss right now. He needs to talk to her; he needs to sort out his feeling for her. The one time he did get her to talk to him, she had been very upset and had been firm in her belief that they were over. She had asked him to leave her alone.

At lunch, the student body is filing into the Quad. Lilly walks with her posse through the tables and sits next to Logan. She looks beautiful today, as usual. She smiles a little tentatively at him and he smiles back touched at her hesitance. Lilly Kane is always confident and in control. He knows her and she is unsettled about their talk the other night. He understands the significance of her opening herself up the other night during their talk; she is normally a very closed person. More than anything she said, her willingness to put herself out there convinced Logan that she does care about him.

The students getting food from the cafeteria start to file in and find their seats. The 09ers are discussing all the Christmas parties they are invited to and the gifts they purchased for their family and friends. They are waiting for delivery of their meal when there is a commotion at the doors into the main building of the school. The students are surprised to see Victor walk confidently out the doors into the Quad. He is obviously looking for someone but easily says hello to the students he remembers from his days as a Neptune Pirate. When he gets over to where the soccer team is sitting, he calls out loudly, "Honeybee!"

The students who were there when Victor dated Veronica Mars remember how he always called her HB. Veronica's head whips up and a huge smile breaks out over her face when she recognizes the young man who is standing in the middle of the Quad.

Victor opens his arms and smiles when his ex-girlfriend stands and rushes over to hug him. He wraps his arms around her and lifts her off the ground in his exuberance to see her.

Logan watching is surprised by how unhappy he is to see Veronica in Victor's arms. He knows he doesn't have any right to be upset but the fact is he still thinks of Veronica as his. He finds that he really doesn't like how excited Victor looks to see her and how closely he holds her.

His 09er friends watch Logan as he watches the interaction between Victor and Veronica. The ones who know him well can see his upset. They don't know what to think.

Towards the end of lunch, Veronica gets up and goes into the school. Logan watching thinks she probably has a meeting with one of her teachers. After she leaves the table, Victor stands up and walks over to greet a few guys he knows at the 09er tables. He says hello to Duncan and then Casey. Duncan asks him how his first semester of college went. Victor tells him he loves it there and he kept a high GPA. He tells him that competition for pre law is stiff. He asks Duncan if he is still high up in the class standings and Duncan tells him he is third right now. Victor asks, "Is Veronica still number one?"

Duncan smiles and tells him she is.

Shaking his head Victor comments, "She is crazy smart!" The young man looks over at the 09er guys and teases, "I hear that you guys fell for Veronica's eating contest scam?"

The surprised teens listen in amazement as Victor tells them that she pulled the same thing on Josh's friends and his friends. He says admiration in his voice, "She can really eat when she wants to."

The 09er guys are shocked that they were played by the petite blonde. Still disbelieving, Luke comments, "If I hadn't seen it, I wouldn't have believed it." The other 09er guys who were there agree.

Victor laughs and tells them, "I think she is going to pay her way through college by out eating guys." He adds teasing the 09er guys, "Of course she didn't win as much money from Josh or my friends."

Logan listening to the laughter thinks about how she won $500 and her father won $2000. He smiles. He liked how smart and manipulative she was. Lilly sees Logan's smile and is not impressed. She leans into him and asks, "Why don't we go out tonight?"

Looking down at Lilly, Logan sees the seductive look in her eyes. Part of him is tempted but the other part of him knows he needs to be sure of what he really wants. He has already hurt both girls because he doesn't know what he wants. He needs to take the time and make the right decision. He leans in and tells his ex-girlfriend, "Lilly I am not sure I want to get back with you. I'm sorry but you are going to have to give me time."

He turns back to the table just in time to see Victor turn to Kim who is sitting at the next table with her friends. He raises his voice and says, "Kim I got sent an interesting video a few weeks ago. I thought I had a great memory but I am drawing a blank on our romantic dates during my senior year." He steps closer and adds derisively, "I guess they weren't that memorable for me." Pointedly he turns his back on her. It is clear to anyone in the listening vicinity that Kim lied about being with Victor while he was dating Veronica.

The guys ask him about college and especially the college girls. Victor easily talks about how big the campus is and how many girls there are. He pauses and adds, "There were some things about Neptune I missed though."

He quickly ends the conversation by telling the guys he has to run. He complains that he has a lot of Christmas shopping left to do. He adds that he just stopped in to see Veronica. "My mom wanted me to invite her for dinner." He bumps fists with Casey telling him he will call him later and he leaves.

Logan could tell that Victor missed Veronica; the way his face lit up when he saw her and how he hugged her close was very telling. The king of the 09ers really couldn't blame Victor for wanting to see Veronica. He knows exactly how he feels. He misses Veronica more than he imagined.


	18. Chapter 18

_Story so Far: AU. Veronica is the daughter of Sheriff Mars. Logan and Lilly are on an off period when Logan sees Veronica in her soccer uniform. He is really attracted to her but she doesn't want to be an interim girl. They decide to date but keep their relationship private. They both agree to just enjoy what is between them as long as it lasts. Time goes by and soon they have been dating a few months. It has been a revelation for Logan to date Veronica. He decides not to go back to Lilly and give his relationship with Veronica a real chance. For a school project Veronica wears a baby bump and is photographed with Logan. Both their parents are unhappy. Veronica discovers that Aaron abuses Logan and Logan persuades her not to call her father. She does however 'hypothetically' tell her grandfather. Logan and Veronica grow closer. Lilly talks to Logan and tells him she wants him back and is willing to be with just him; no other guys. Logan is torn. He tells Veronica he needs time to sort out his thoughts as he has feelings for both her and Lilly. Veronica is not receptive and tells Logan they are done._

_Meg's POV_

This has been a horrible week! Her worries about all the things that could go wrong when Logan started dating Veronica Mars have come true. Now she is in the unenviable position of being friends with all three people in the Logan/Lilly/Veronica triangle. It's more dramatic than a soap opera now and the Neptune High students cannot get enough of it. The problem is she can't see any way out of this situation that won't hurt at least one of her friends even more than they are all hurting right now.

This past summer Meg just enjoyed being part of the Fab 4. She was happily oblivious to how things would be changing. She went to the beach, sat by the pool and generally hung out with her best friend Lilly Kane, her best guy friend Logan Echolls and her perfect, handsome boyfriend Duncan Kane. None of them had to work or do any chores so they had complete freedom to relax and enjoy the warm California sun. Her parents made her teach summer Bible Camp at the church but other than that one week, she had been free from their expectations. Her father was extra busy at work and her mother was busy volunteering at the church and looking after her younger sister Grace. She had even gone with the Kanes and Logan to Hawaii for two weeks. It had been the best summer ever!

At the beginning of this school year, she didn't have any inkling that everything was going to change. She and Lilly had excitedly gone shopping for their new school clothes and were looking forward to seeing their 09er friends and hearing about their summers. Many of them had gone abroad or to their vacation houses. It would be good to see them again and find out what was new. Lilly talked about the potential new men at the school but Meg in her happy haze had not given credence to her claim that she was looking for a new man. Lilly was always looking for a new man and the beginning of the school year often brought fresh meat along with it.

When Lilly broke up with Logan right at the start of the school year, Meg knew that she had found someone else; perhaps more than one new man to occupy her time. Meg wasn't surprised or even worried. It was the Kane heiress' usual MO to break up with Logan when she found someone that interested her. Logan following the usual pattern, was hurt and angry. Meg didn't like how Lilly treated Logan but Lilly simply blew off her concerns as usual telling her that she and Logan were too young to be tied down and she was too fabulous for one guy. Looking back Meg could see that she did not give their breakup the attention she should have. She just accepted that Logan would find a girl to date until Lilly was through with her new man and wanted him back. It was a cycle that Meg and the rest of Neptune High had seen many times before.

In retrospect, Meg thinks she probably should have realized that things might change when she began to suspect that Lilly's someone else meant more to her than the usual guys she dated. This guy seemed to get under Lilly's skin. Of course Lilly denied it, but Meg could see that Lilly was disturbed about what was happening with the new guy. Reluctant to push Lilly, Meg accepted that Lilly wasn't going to talk to her about this new guy. The fact is Lilly Kane is a young woman who has a lot of secrets. Meg knows that Lilly only tells her what she wants her to know and even though she is Lilly's best friend, there is a lot that she doesn't know about her. The truth was Meg was busy with school, her extracurricular activities and dating Duncan that she didn't pay enough attention to what was going on with Lilly. Every so often Meg worried as she watched her best friend. She wondered what would happen if Lilly was through with Logan for good? She wondered how Logan would handle that and what it would mean for the Fab 4. Busy and happy, Meg dismissed the worries from her mind and ignored her niggling fears. Lilly would grow tired of her new man and get back with Logan. Everything would be OK.

Hindsight is 20/20 and Meg now knows that she should have been more vigilant. She should have paid more attention to what was happening to Lilly and she definitely should have paid more attention to her relationship with Duncan. Completely taking her by surprise, her long term perfect boyfriend started ignoring her. Meg had not even suspected that he was unhappy or that their relationship was going to come to a crashing stop. Inexplicably Duncan had refused to talk to her about their breakup. Fortunately for her, Lilly and Logan were both very supportive and protected her from some of the fallout from the students at school. Meg had been unprepared for the changes in her life. She was deeply hurt and humiliated.

The whole situation was made even more complicated when Logan started pursuing Veronica Mars. Meg, diverted by her own issues, had completely missed the ramifications of the blossoming relationship between Logan and Veronica. In retrospect, she should have known that when Logan did not pick an 09er who was willing to date him until Lilly wanted him back, it would become a huge bomb that would blow up in all their faces.

Truthfully, Meg could understand why Logan was interested in Veronica. She is beautiful, smart, self-directed and strong. Veronica is not an interim girl; she is the type of girl you fall in love with. Meg had been horrified that Logan was attracted to Veronica. She warned Logan off Veronica and talked to Veronica about dating Logan. They both reassured her that they were just having fun and there wouldn't be any hard feelings when Logan went back to Lilly.

Meg walked the fine line of supporting Logan, Lilly and Veronica and she worried. She had a bad feeling about the whole situation. Changes were happening and Meg, like the ostrich, hid her head in the sand hoping that when she raised her head, things would have gone back to normal; or at least a Fab 4 normal.

Of course she knew that last summer was just a good memory and the Fab 4 wasn't going to be able to go back to those uncomplicated, happy times. Duncan had begun to date other girls and showed no signs of wanting to talk to her or get back with her. Meg had decided she had to get over Duncan and Veronica had provided the perfect way for her to do that; she introduced her to Leo D'Matto. Leo is older than her and a Deputy in the Sheriff's Department. He is tall, slender, handsome, sexy and he treats her like a princess. He is experienced with women and knows how to make her feel beautiful and desirable. He is a balm to her recently shattered ego. Even more appealing, Leo has a large loving family both at home and at work. Meg has been welcomed to both with open arms. She has never experienced such acceptance and her relationship with Leo, his family and the Sheriff and Fire Department has become very important to her. The icing on the cake is that her parents have to be more careful with her. Leo coming from a large loving family often drops in on Meg. The other deputies and young firefighters know her and when they see her with her family, they immediately come over to say hello and be introduced. Her relationship with Leo has ensured that she will be left alone by her parents until she is able to move out. Meg is considering confiding in Leo and seeing if he can help her get her sisters away from her parents when she is old enough to leave.

Lilly, dumbfounding everyone, showed no signs of leaving her new man and she still would not talk about him except to tell Meg he wasn't a boy like Logan, he was a real man. Meg suspected that she genuinely cared about this guy. Logan and Veronica were happy dating each other and having fun. Meg was accepting that although things were different, they were all pretty happy. Change didn't have to be so bad. She relaxed a little and enjoyed her new relationship and school.

Of course something had to happen to upset the apple cart. Logan decided that he truly cared for Veronica. He told Meg that he liked and admired so much about Veronica and he was starting to feel more for her than he should; she had become more than an interim girl. He wanted to explore where their relationship could go. He had talked to Lilly and told her that he was ending their relationship for good and he settled into his relationship with Veronica. Veronica had confided to Meg that she had not been sure about Logan's decision but as time went on, she began to trust in their relationship. Meg could see that Logan and Veronica were growing closer. They were called the LoVe couple.

Meg was worried about the change but Duncan, in his usual non confrontational manner, had accepted that Logan and Lilly were through and he went about his day as if nothing had changed; as if the Fab 4 never existed. Lilly was adamant that she was over Logan but Meg could see that something was bothering her. She confronted Lilly about her new man. Lilly wouldn't admit that she felt anything more than physical desire but when Meg pointed out that she has been with the guy for a long time; Lilly frowned slightly and then said, "Maybe too long."

That had been the end of their conversation but Meg had worried about Lilly's mood. Then for the next few weeks, Lilly just became increasingly wild. She began to party harder and would not talk about what she was feeling or thinking. She got in a lot of trouble at school and with her parents. Concerned, Meg watched Lilly at the Kane party. It was obvious that something was wrong. She was dressed to the nines but she did not display her usual confidence or vivaciousness. When Meg caught Lilly alone at the party she asked her if everything was OK. Her best friend had smiled a little and carelessly answered, "Why wouldn't it be?"

Later, in the kitchen, Meg saw Lilly and Logan talking. The conversation seemed serious and they went outside and sat beside the pool together. The 09ers at the party were excited; certain that Lilly and Logan were getting back together. The king and queen talked for a long time and deep inside Meg had a bad feeling about their talk.

The next thing Meg knew, Logan called her on Sunday after she got home from evening church. He told her he had asked Veronica for some time to think about how he felt. He told Meg that although he really cared for Veronica, he also found that he still cared for Lilly. He didn't know what to do. It was Meg's worst fears coming true.

Meg could tell that Logan was very upset on the phone. She knows him and he would not want to hurt Lilly or Veronica. Fortunately, Duncan had gone over to spend time with a distraught Logan. When Meg called Veronica, she didn't answer but Mac answered her phone and told Meg that she and Erica were with Veronica.

So Meg went over and spent the evening with Lilly. Lilly had been hopeful that Logan still loved her and would get back with her. She told Meg that she was through with her latest man and that she always knew that she and Logan were meant to be.

Alarm bells rang in Meg's head. There was something different about Lilly this time. Something happened with her latest man and she definitely wasn't talking about it. She mentioned how she and Logan were right for each other. They would party hard together. They both weren't meant for the traditional marriage, children, PTA, Little League, ballet, Girl Scouts or Boy Scouts. They were meant to have fun. They were perfect for each other. Meg was really concerned at how defeated Lilly sounded. She didn't know how to make her feel better.

Watching the fallout on Monday had been hard. The breakup between Logan and Veronica had been a huge source of gossip. Actually everything about their relationship had been very interesting to the students at Neptune High. Meg, walking with Veronica between classes, heard the comments directed Veronica's way. Some of the students felt like she was only dating Logan to be part of the 'in' rich crowd. Most of the students commented that she was just Logan's latest interim girl and he was not getting back with Lilly. A few were nicer believing that Logan had fooled Veronica and used her. Meg didn't know which was worse. She had been helpless to stop the student tirade against her when Duncan stopped dating her. She didn't have any idea how to help Veronica cope with the comments. Although Veronica kept pretty good control of her emotions in public, Meg knew her well and could see she was devastated. It was painful to see her heartbreak and her very public humiliation.

Logan had been quiet on Monday and Meg could see that he was upset. She had caught Logan before lunch and they talked privately in an empty classroom. Logan was obviously upset that he hurt Veronica and Meg could see that he felt really guilty when he heard how Veronica was being teased.

He ran his hands through his hair and told Meg, "I told the 09ers to leave her alone. What can I do to make it better?" Meg didn't say anything because both she and Logan knew that there wasn't anything he could do to protect Veronica from the gossip and teasing.

The tall 09er looked down at his hands as he sat on the teacher's desk. After a few moments he looked up at Meg and confided, "She won't even look at me." His pain was almost palpable. Meg felt just awful for him. He confided, "I really need to talk to her. She was so angry with me yesterday. I need to make her understand that I wasn't using her."

The thought of Logan talking to Veronica that day really shook Meg. She could not imagine that Veronica could take much more upset without breaking down. Shaking her head Meg begged, "Please leave her alone today. She is trying to hold everything together. Please don't make her cry in public. Don't upset her anymore; not today."

Logan knows that Meg is Veronica's friend. Hearing Meg so panicked that he might further upset Veronica shows him how worried she is about her. Meg asking him not to make Veronica cry anymore is almost his undoing. He understands that he has really messed up this time. He immediately agreed to leave her alone but Meg could see that Logan was determined to talk to her.

Deeply disturbed, Logan looks at his friend and his brown eyes are full of pain. He confides how he feels so confused. "I really thought I was over Lilly. I was moving on. I was happy." Taking a deep, shaky breath and letting it out, he continues, "When Lilly told me that she was ready to commit to me; she was done with other guys, it was like a dream come true."

Meg actually understands. Logan has dreamed of having a relationship with Lilly where she loves only him and is faithful for as long as Meg can remember. She can see why he feels so torn. "It is a bad situation Logan. I know you don't want to hurt Lilly or Veronica."

Logan is really relieved that Meg understands how he feels. He knows she is in a very bad position as she is friends with all three of them. He hugs her and says, "I am such a fuck up." Looking across the room he adds, "I knew that I shouldn't date Veronica. She is so smart and so good. I knew I was going to fuck it up and hurt her." He adds morosely, "I knew I was going to mess it up but I did it anyways."

Taking his hand she squeezes it and reassures, "Logan, you are not a fuck up. That is your father talking. You deserve to be happy."

She pauses trying to understand what Logan is thinking. "You told Veronica you needed time?" Logan nods. She clarifies, "You told Lilly you needed time to think about whether you wanted to get back with her?"

Logan nods again and says, "I am really not sure what I feel." He leans closer to Meg and shares, "Even if I find out I still love Lilly, I can't get back with her the way things were. She would have to be committed to our relationship; no more breaking up when she finds someone new." He pauses and looks at Meg and tells her, "I can't do that anymore.

This time Meg is the one who nods that she understands. She can see that being with Veronica has taught Logan to want more in a relationship. She counsels, "Be very sure this time though Logan. Don't make a decision until you are really sure."

Logan understanding reaches over and squeezes her hand in agreement. He already has decided to think carefully about what he really wants before he does anything. This is already a bad situation and he doesn't want to make it even worse.

On Monday night Meg waited for Veronica to finish work. She had gone straight to work from soccer practice. She could see that Veronica was tired and wearing make up to cover the circles under her eyes. She imagined that Veronica didn't sleep that well the night before. She sat with Veronica on the stairs overlooking the beach and she felt so badly for her friend. By then Veronica was resigned to what happened. Meg wished she knew what to say to make things better for the petite blond but knew that it was just something she had to go through.

Veronica talked about how she had not been this upset when Josh or Victor left. She had confided in Meg that she knew she would get her heart broken with Josh and Victor. It had been hard but it was tolerable because she had the memories of them together and she knew they both really cared about her.

Tears on her face, she brokenly told her friend that the worse thing was that with Logan she didn't know. She hoped that he truly did care for her; she believed that he was over Lilly and wanted to give their relationship a real try. She opened herself up to him totally and thought he had done the same with her. Now she wasn't sure and that changed everything. Now she looked back on things they did together, things he said and she didn't know.

Meg had not known what to say. She believed that Logan did care for Veronica. She also knew his attachment to Lilly. She told Veronica that she did not believe that Logan was playing her.

Tearfully Veronica had thanked Meg for telling her that. She had sadly said that when it came down to it, she would just to accept that she would never know for sure and she had to deal with that. She looked at her friend and told her that she would just have to get on with her life and that time would make things better. She had smiled sadly and teased, "Time and ice cream."

Meg had hugged her friend and had felt so very sad for her. She knew she was taking a lot of teasing and negativeness. It was awful for her friend. Unable to let her friend think that Logan didn't truly care, Meg reassured her that he did care and that maybe he would learn that he was really over Lilly and they could get back together. Veronica had looked at Meg and shook her head. She said, "Fool me once, shame on Logan. Fool me twice, shame on me."

Immediately Meg had defended Logan. She firmly said, "Logan did not try and fool you Veronica. He would not do that."

Veronica had been a little soothed by Meg's belief that Logan did truly care about her. She had smiled a little at her friend and thanked her for being honest. She shared, "I know it is hard for you being friends with both of us." She adds, "I release you from the requisite hating Logan on my behalf."

Meg had almost cried when she saw how her friend was in so much pain but was trying to make things easier for her. She had hugged her and said, "I am here if you need to talk."

Reassuring Meg, Veronica quietly said, "I know that. Thank you."

Tired and hurt, she leaned into her friend and just soaked up the acceptance of her friendship. They watched the waves for a while and then Veronica had said, "I am really tired. I think I will just go in and try and sleep."

Meg understanding had agreed and said, "I will keep my phone by my bed. Call if you can't sleep or need to talk."

Tearfully Veronica had agreed to call if she needed her. She quietly said, "I know I am lucky to have so many friends who really care about me."

Meg had squeezed her hand and told her, "You have so many people who love you because you love so many people."

She sat on the stairs and watched her friend walk into her apartment. She looked back at the ocean and wondered how anything good could come of her three friends being hurt.

_Study Hall Wednesday_

Logan catches Mac alone during her study period and stands by her table. Her pleasant manner noticeably darkens when she sees who is invading her work space. She frowns and greets the handsome young 09er, "Hey."

He sits in the chair across from her at the table and leans in. He answers with a smirk, "Mac." He looks around, sees they can't be overheard and asks, "Can we talk?"

I'm busy," she answers and goes back to working on her computer.

Looking at her dark hair with its blue streak and then at the lap top that she is most often seen typing in, he sighs and starts, "I get you're mad at me Mac."

Mac doesn't say anything; just continues to type on her laptop. When she and Erica went over and spent the evening with Veronica after Logan told her he 'needed time', it had been really hard to see her cry. Her best friend had been reluctant to date Logan. He was in an' on again, off again' relationship with the vivacious, beautiful and wealthy Lilly Kane. He had a lot of girls willing to date him and he was open in the fact that he was just using them until he could get back with Lilly. Veronica had confided that her gut told her not to date Logan but slowly over the weeks they dated, she came to really care for him and trust him. She had been happy when he told her he wanted to really give their relationship a try. While she ate her ice cream and cried, she told her best friends that she should have listened to her gut.

Today in the computer room at lunch, Veronica confided that the worst thing was not the teasing she took at school or all the sympathetic looks or even the 'you deserved it' looks. It wasn't even the fact she missed Logan. Biting her lip and taking a deep breath to hold her emotions in, she quietly shared, "At least with Josh and Victor, I could look back at our time together and know they loved me. With Logan, I just don't know. That is the worst thing."

Mac, not knowing what to say, had tried to reassure her friend that maybe Logan would realize that he did love her.

The petit blond had slowly shaken her head and said, "I doubt that will happen. I think back on how long Lilly and Logan dated and how passionate they were with each other even when they fought." She hesitates and then finishes, "I was stupid to think he was over her."

Erica reassured her friend, "I think everyone thought he was over her. He seemed really happy with you." Trying to make her friend feel better, Erica points out, "At least Logan was honest with you when he realized he still had feelings for Lilly. He could have kept on dating you until he figured out what he felt."

Frowning Veronica says, "There is that." She hesitates and then shares, "He says he was honest with me the whole time. He wants time to sort out his feelings."

The two worried friends wait for Veronica to continue their conversation but she doesn't seem to have anything more to say. Finally she sighs and says, "I don't really know what was true and what wasn't." She looks at her hands for a few seconds and then back at her friends, "The trust between us is broken. There is no coming back from that."

Mac knows how strong her friend is and how she got over Josh and Victor leaving. She knows her own mind and is not afraid to even take on the 09ers. Mac thinks that Veronica will walk away from Logan and will be strong enough to weather the storm. She just wishes she didn't have to.

Impatient at Mac's lack of response, Logan reaches across the table and shuts the top down on her laptop. She looks up at him in surprise and a touch of anger. He says, "Veronica is not answering my calls."

Annoyance wins out and she looks at Logan with a clear 'duh' expression on her face. Sarcastically she tells him, "How can she be so unreasonable?"

Frustrated Logan tries again, "I care about Veronica. I just want to talk to her."

Mac meets his gaze and looks at him carefully. He definitely looks upset about what happened but it's hard to trust him now. He does not seem to be back with Lilly although she seems ready to be back with him. He doesn't hold her or kiss her in public anyways. Who knows what they do in private? Unsure why he is talking to her, she asks, "Logan, what do you want me to say?"

Tapping the table with his fingers restlessly, Logan meets Mac's gaze and says, "How am I supposed to sort out my feelings if I can't talk to Veronica?"

Angry Mac ignores Logan and opens her laptop and waits for it to turn back on. She thought she had gotten to know Logan. She had been sure he really loved Veronica. Now even she was looking back on moments she saw him with Veronica and she was wondering if he was playing her. Now he actually expected Veronica to wait around until he decided if he wanted to get back with Lilly Kane. His ego is incredible.

Logan sees her anger. He knows she is Veronica's best friend but he has gotten to know Mac the best of any of Veronica's friends. To his way of thinking, she is the most logical of the girls he knows. He finally says, "I just want to talk to her. It bothers me that she thinks I was using her."

"Yeah, well most people think that." Mac tells him angrily.

He looks her in the eyes and assures her, "I wasn't."

Mac thinks he is sincere but doesn't know what to say. The fact is he did hurt her and the whole situation is a huge mess. "Veronica is taking a lot of ridicule and teasing."

Logan does look upset that some students are bothering her. After a short hesitation, he nods and runs his hand through his hair. "I told the 09ers to leave her alone." He looks around the room and then back at Mac. Agitated he points out, "You know that the school thrives on rumors. I can't stop the gossip."

Frustrated that he seems to think he is a victim of the gossip, she hisses, "Forgive me if I don't feel sorry for you. According to the rumor mill, you are the guy who used Veronica to get Lilly back. You are the player who has two hot girls wanting him." She leans forward and finishes, "Veronica is the slut who wanted you for your money or she is the idiot who was used by you. I think Veronica got the raw end of it."

Pissed he says, "Whether you believe it or not, I care about Veronica. I never wanted to hurt her. I wasn't using her."

Mac looks at Logan and doesn't know what to say. There is no point to continuing this conversation. Logan can go back to his 09er way of life and things will go back to how they were before. She says, "The damage is done. It's a big source of gossip now but eventually everyone will forget about it." Looking at her computer, she reputs in her password. When she sees her computer program is opening again, she looks back at Logan meeting his gaze. Reassure him she says, "Fortunately it is almost Christmas and by the time the New Year starts, everyone will have something else to talk about."

Logan is a little frustrated that Mac is missing his point. He clarifies, "Mac I only asked for time to think. I didn't break up with her."

Incredulously Mac asks, "Do you really expect Veronica to wait around while you decide?" She immediately sees that Logan does expect that.

Logan, for his part, sees that Mac thinks he is crazy for wanting Veronica to wait while he decides what he feels. He defends, "I did not get back with Lilly. I only asked for time to think about what I really feel. I want to make sure this time."

Mac upset presses, "How would you feel if the situation was reversed? How would you feel if Veronica told you she cared and then one of her old boyfriends wanted her back and she was suddenly not sure?"

Frowning at the thought that Veronica would leave him for an old boyfriend, Logan tells Mac, "I would be hurt but I hope I would try and understand."

Mac snorts and says, "That's crap! You know better than anyone how it feels to be put on hold until the person you care about decides they want you back."

Logan is shocked by her obvious anger but he is truly and deeply appalled at her words. Mac is comparing his behavior to how Lilly treats him. Instantly he becomes angry. He spits out, "I never treated Veronica like that. I never fooled around on her. I would never fool around on Veronica."

Mac is a little scared at his anger. It is not good to upset Logan Echolls. "I never said you fooled around on Veronica," She moves a little away from him and waves at her computer, "I have to get this work done."

Logan immediately sees that he has scared and upset Mac. He takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. His voice is open and honest as he asks, "Mac, please tell me what you mean."

She looks at Logan trying to gauge his sincerity. She decides that he really wants to know what she means. Tentatively she tells him, "Look when Lilly broke up with you, everyone knew it was because she…" Mac stops not knowing how to continue. This is potentially a very bad conversation.

Quick to see what she means he finishes, "Because she had another guy." Mac looks really uncomfortable and her eyes skitter away from Logan's gaze. He continues on following her point, "You think that I used Veronica to get back with Lilly. You think I treated Veronica like Lilly always treated me." He thinks hard and adds his voice rising, "You think I am trying to make myself look like more of a player by hurting Veronica."

"No!" Mac jumps in to head off his budding temper. She quickly tells him, "I just think it is really odd that you would put Veronica in a similar position to what Lilly put you in for years." She explains, "That you would ask her to wait to see if you want her back knowing how it made you feel."

This time Logan follows Mac's true train of thought. He looks like he has been punched. He has always admired how Veronica's best friend is blunt and to the point with her conversations; she tells it like it is. This time though he has gotten the brunt of her words. He knew she would be angry with him but he wanted to find out why Veronica won't talk to him; why she is avoiding him.

He hoped Mac would tell him why Veronica was so upset and he got his wish. He knew that he hurt Veronica but he didn't really understand how his actions deeply humiliated her. When Mac compared his actions to Lilly's, he instantly became very angry. His father fools around on his mother and he hates how it makes his mother feel. He also knows how it feels when Lilly fools around on him. He would never do that to anyone.

Now he understands that Mac had not been referring to fooling around, she had been referring to how he publically humiliated Veronica. He runs his hand through his hair and his agitation deflates. He explains quietly, "I thought I was over Lilly. I was happy with Veronica."

Putting his elbows on the table, he leans forward and looks at Mac openly. He confides, "I really don't know what I feel right now."

Mac meets his gaze and she sees why Veronica trusted him. His brown eyes seem so open and he seems so sincere. Mac doesn't know what to think.

Logan goes on, "I can't date her when I am not sure. I can't pretend with Veronica. I can't lie to her and I can't hold her letting her think things are fine when they aren't."

Mac sees Logan's upset over Veronica. She had not seen things from his side before. He felt he was being honest with Veronica. He didn't want to deceive her so he told her his feelings for Lilly and asked for time.

She comes back to Logan's voice, "I need to talk to her. I need to make her understand that I was not using her. I need to find out what I feel. I have hurt them both enough. I want to be sure before I get back with Lilly or Veronica."

Logan watching Mac's face sees that Mac doesn't see him getting back with Veronica as an option. He immediately sees that Mac thinks Veronica is done with him. The pain in his chest at the thought that he may never talk to Veronica again or be close to her again takes his breath away.

He looks down at the table for a few seconds and then says his voice a little strangled, "I have to run." He stands and adds, "Take care," before he walks off.

Mac nods and watches him leave. She thinks about their conversation. He's a hard river to navigate but she thinks he really does love Veronica. She is really unsure why he would even consider going back to dating a girl who fools around on him and gets off on publically hurting him but it is clear that she doesn't understand Logan Echolls' relationship with Lilly Kane. It is really too bad that Veronica got caught up in their issues.


	19. Chapter 19

_Story so Far: AU. Veronica is not part of the Fab 4. Logan and Lilly are on an off period when Logan sees Veronica in her soccer uniform. He is really attracted to her but she doesn't want to be an interim girl. They both agree to just enjoy what is between them as long as it lasts. Time goes by and soon they have been dating a few months. It has been a revelation for Logan to date Veronica. He decides not to go back to Lilly and give his relationship with Veronica a real chance. Lilly talks to Logan and tells him she wants him back and is willing to be with just him; no other guys. Logan is torn. He tells Veronica he needs time to sort out his thoughts as he has feelings for both her and Lilly. Veronica is not receptive and tells Logan they are done. Logan tries to talk to Lilly and she avoids talking about their relationship. He talks to Mac trying to find out why Veronica won't even talk to him and she makes him realize that he humiliated Veronica the way Lilly always humiliated him._

_Thursday_

Veronica comes to school with a new haircut. Instead of her bright blond hair hanging to the middle of her back, it is very short. The style suits her small face but Logan misses her long hair. He liked to see her in his bed with her long hair fanned out on his pillow. He wants to tell her she looks really good with her new haircut but she really obviously does not want to talk to him anymore.

Frank and Peter are in Logan's advanced history class. They walk with him towards their next class and see him hesitate as he passes Veronica in the hallway. When Veronica turns her face away and continues walking, Logan also continues walking towards their next class. They could see he wanted to talk to her but she apparently does not want to talk to him.

Although it seems he broke up with her, he immediately and fiercely stopped any torment of her. Most of the 09er guys have respected Logan's wishes and leave her alone. The 09er girls and the rest of the school are not as accommodating.

The king of the 09ers is not talking about Veronica or Lilly. He pointedly ignores any talk about his love life and most of the students are smart enough not to mention it to him.

After lunch, the girls' soccer team heads to the athletic area to get on the bus. Logan is disappointed as he watches her walk with her team mates after lunch; he knows he won't see her until tomorrow now. Really though it doesn't matter if she is in the school or not, she is not talking to him or even looking at him.

This week most classes are preparation for final exams next week so they are not interesting enough to keep Logan's attention. It is giving him a lot of time to think. He is not any closer in his mind to coming to a decision but a few things have become clearer to him. Interestingly the fact that Veronica won't even talk to him has not made his decision any easier. Although Lilly really surprised him by telling him she wanted him back and would be willing to be committed to their relationship, he is not sure about getting back with her. For one, he would be stupid to believe that she will be faithful this time. Yet, deep down, he has a feeling she means what she said. That is very exciting and normally he would be ecstatic to hear that. The problem is he is not sure that she is willing to actually work on their relationship. She may be faithful but is she willing to work on their communication, develop some common interests besides sex and partying; and most importantly, is she willing to open up and be more honest with him? Now that he has dated Veronica, Logan better understands what a real relationship is and he definitely wants it. Even if she is done with him, she did teach him that he is worth a real relationship and he shouldn't settle for less. He is truly grateful to her for that. He really needs to have a heart to heart talk with Lilly.

Friday morning during announcements Meg tells the school that the Boys' soccer team lost their district playoff game and they are eliminated. She names three players that made the All District team and Logan is happy to hear that Duncan received the honor. Logan already knows they lost as he sat with the 09ers and watched the game. He did not sit directly with Lilly but it was telling to the other students that he drove to watch his friend Duncan play but did not go to watch the girls' playoff game.

Meg then tells the school that the Girls' team won their game last night and she talks about how Tiffany Franks scored twice in the win which ties her for the district lead in goals for the playoffs. She adds that Saturday the team will be travelling to LA to play in the Bi Regional Tournament. Logan is thrilled for the team and Veronica. He listens as Meg wishes the team luck this weekend and adds that she hopes they make the District Final next Tuesday.

Friday night Logan is dancing with Lilly at the Sinclair Christmas party when he sees Victor arrive with Casey. He guesses that Casey brought Victor along even though he wasn't invited by the Sinclair's. Although he knows that it is unlikely that Victor brought Veronica, he can't stop himself from looking to see if she is with Victor.

Lilly, who looks stunning and sexy in her red strapless dress and high heels, notices that Logan paid careful attention to Casey and Victor when they arrived. She frowns as she guesses that Logan was looking for Veronica.

Frustrated that Logan does not want to take her back even though she has heard that Veronica is now through with him, Lilly presses herself closer to Logan. She is ready to party and wants to forget her problems. Tonight she will get together with Logan and everything will go back to how it was before she started dating Eli. She forgot for a little while who she really was but she knows her future now. If she could only get Logan to give up the idea that they need to talk...

Logan looks over and sees that Victor is talking to some of the guys but he is watching him dance with Lilly. He sees the smug look on Victor's face and knows that he is going to tell Veronica about seeing him together with Lilly tonight. Frustratingly, Logan knows he can't even call or visit Veronica to explain that he is not back with Lilly. It is a helpless feeling to be so cut out of Veronica's life now.

When he is dancing with Meg he tells her about his conversation with Mac and how Mac thinks Veronica has too much pride to wait around for him to make up his mind. He explains, "Mac doesn't understand how I could have humiliated Veronica the way Lilly humiliated me."

Concerned at his tone, Meg gently caresses his shoulder. "I never meant to humiliate Veronica," the obviously upset young man tells her, adding; "I would never treat her like that."

He sees that Meg believes him. Meg looks around to make sure they can't be overheard and she quietly tries to reassure her friend, "Veronica is really hurting right now. She is naturally upset with you." She adds softly, "I think you understand that she is wondering if you ever really cared for her."

Forestalling his assertion that he does care about her, Meg continues, "I know you cared about Veronica. I also know what Lilly means to you. I know you didn't want to hurt either of them."

Logan looks around and sees they are still safe to talk. He takes a deep breath and confesses, "I was trying to be honest and open." Meeting her gaze he adds, "I hate lies."

Meg's blue eyes soften in understanding. When Logan originally talked to her about his feelings, he had not seen asking Veronica for time as a negative thing. He valued their relationship and he values honesty so he felt he was doing the right thing by stepping back until he was sure.

More than almost anyone, Meg knows how Lilly's lies affected Logan. She also knows how much his father's affairs and lies hurt his mother. Logan values his relationship with Veronica and he didn't see his behavior with Veronica as even comparable to Lilly's behavior with him. Although he is hurt that people would think he lied to Veronica and Lilly, he is crushed that Veronica believes he lied to her or used her.

She is brought out of her thoughts by Logan asking, "Meg, have you been able to get Lilly to talk about what is bothering her?"

The blond 09er looks up and sees the concern in Logan's brown eyes. Automatically she shakes her head and admits, "I've tried and she won't talk about her relationship with her latest guy."

Meg and Logan talk about how fragile Lilly seems to be. They are both even more concerned when they realize that she is not talking to either of them about what is really going on with her. They are used to her secrets but both feel that something is definitely bothering her.

A few hours later Logan is standing by the buffet when Casey and Darlene come to stand with him. After a few minutes, Darlene excuses herself to go to the powder room. Casey asks Logan about surfing the next morning and they discuss the new car Casey is thinking of buying. Before they can be interrupted, Logan asks Casey where Victor is.

A little uncomfortable Casey meets Logan's gaze and answers, "He is picking Veronica up after work."

Nodding Logan looks out the patio door at the 09ers on the patio. He had figured as much. He knows he doesn't have any right to be upset but he is. Right now Victor is probably telling Veronica that he is at this party with Lilly; that it looks like they are back together and there is nothing Logan can do about it.

_Saturday morning_

Logan is surfing with the guys. He talks to Duncan for a few minutes while they both sit on their boards taking a break. He had a pretty good time with Lilly at Madison's party. Lilly is beautiful, a lot of fun and he is so attracted to her. Today though, he is disappointed. He really wants to talk to Lilly about their relationship. If he gets back with Lilly, he needs things to change. He tried to talk to her about it yesterday but she was more interested in partying. She got so trashed that he just helped Duncan take her home and left her in her room passed out. Both he and Duncan are concerned about how wild and almost out of control she is lately. Something is really bothering her and she is keeping whatever is upsetting her a secret.

Stretching his neck as he watches some of the guys' runs, Logan asks, "How is Lilly today?"

Duncan meets Logan's gaze and shakes his head explaining, "She wasn't up yet when I got up."

Logan nods as he is not surprised that Lilly is sleeping in. She really had a lot to drink last night. He runs his hand up behind his neck and absently rubs the area. "Has she told you what is bothering her?"

The dark haired 09er immediately shakes his head. Logan can see that Duncan is worried about his sister. He readily admits, "She won't talk about what is bothering her. I've asked." The boys are both quiet for a few seconds. Duncan finally questions, "Are you doing OK?"

Looking at his best friend Logan shrugs, "I guess." He meets his gaze and adds honestly, "I miss Veronica."

"You had to tell her the truth. You can't date her when you have feelings for Lilly," DK points out.

Nodding his agreement Logan looks down at his board for a few seconds. Finally he looks back up again and admits, "I hate that she thinks I used her."

Duncan looks at his friend seeing his pain. After a few seconds of thought he confides, "It was the same with Meg except I didn't care for anyone else. I just wasn't sure anymore and it wasn't right to keep dating her."

Logan nods his understanding. Duncan is like his parents in that he likes to avoid conflict but Logan wishes his best friend had honestly and openly talked to Meg about his feelings. Duncan's silence hurt Meg deeply and she deserved to hear the truth, no matter how painful it would have been or upset she would have gotten. Logan has come to realize that although Lilly seems to get off on conflict, she is actually as closed as her brother about her feelings.

Duncan really doesn't know what to say. It is unusual for Logan to be so reserved. DK sat with his long term friend the night he told Veronica he still had feelings for Lilly. Logan was devastated that he hurt Veronica. Duncan had never seen his friend so broken. As he drank he confided his feelings about both Lilly and Veronica to his best friend. Listening to his best friend talk about how his relationship with Veronica was disconcerting because some part of Duncan still believed that Lilly and Logan would get married. However hearing Logan's amazement that someone could love and admire him saddened the rich 09er. Logan's home life really hurt his self image and part of DK really liked the effect Veronica had on his best friend. She had a good, loving father and close friends that provided her with the security to go out into the world and take chances. There was no doubt that Veronica had been good for Logan; she provided the security he needed to grow. Duncan decided that Logan was always going to be his friend and he just needed to support him no matter whether he chose Lilly or Veronica. He let Logan know he was there for him and just stayed with him and made sure he was safe.

Sighing Logan sits up and looks towards shore. He finally speaks telling his friend, "It might be for the best that Veronica is done with me." When Duncan looks at Logan in question, Logan confides, "I was bound to fuck it up eventually."

Logan looks out at the ocean for a few seconds and then continues, "She has a bright future ahead of her; she doesn't need me holding her back."

Duncan looks uncomfortable with Logan's revelations. He doesn't know what to say.

Logan has given his relationship with Veronica a lot of thought and he has come to realize that she has expectations of him that scare him. She wants him to work at school and plan for college. She will want him to contribute to society and to grow. Part of him wants that but another deeper part knows he is not destined for a normal life. He wonders sometimes if Lilly is right; maybe they are both too messed up for anyone other than each other.

Veronica's hurt right now but perhaps that is better than disappointing her down the road. He would date her during college and then she would realize that she wasted all those years on him. She should be dating a Josh or a Victor; not a screw up like him.

He looks over at his friend and says, "I'm out. I'll call you later."

Saturday night Logan drives to LA to attend the Spielberg Christmas party. He is a little relieved to go because he will be away from Lilly and the whole situation in Neptune. He spends the evening playing poker with a few of his old LA friends. It was good to catch up on their gossip.

Sunday Logan surfs and then studies. He would like to keep his grades up. Surprisingly Meg comes over and studies with him. She tells him that he is one of her best friends and she will always support him.

Logan is deeply touched. He knows that Meg is friends with both Lilly and Veronica but it is good to know she is his friend as well. He orders in dinner for them and they spend a productive but nice evening together.

_Monday morning_

Meg, in the morning announcements, is happy to tell the school that the Girl's soccer team made the District Final on Tuesday. She gives the scores of the three games they were in on the weekend and talks about how Tiffany Franks is still the leading scorer in the district in the playoffs.

Logan walking down the hallway gets a phone call from the jewelers. He sighs as the owner happily tells him that the necklace he specially ordered is ready. Logan politely thanks him and tells him he will be in later to pick it up. He closes the phone and walks down the hallway listening to Dick talk about how in a little over a week, school will be over for a month. It is really nice to see his friend excited about his Christmas vacation. Logan can't muster up enthusiasm for the holidays. He thinks about how the necklace he had made for Veronica is ready. He wants her to have it but he seriously doubts she wants to wear a necklace that has their initials on it. She won't even look at him right now.

_Tuesday_

The day of the district final soccer game, Veronica wears her soccer uniform and is seen at lunch sitting with the other soccer players. Logan looked on line and the other team only lost one game this year. He wishes he could be there supporting Veronica. He got to know her pretty well and even from across the Quad, he can see she is nervous. He really wants to see the game but he is not sure how she will react if she sees him there.

That evening finds Logan siting in the bleachers at a soccer field in LA. He had timed his arrival for the very beginning of the game and unobtrusively sat near the other team's end of the bleachers.

He doesn't want anyone; especially Veronica to know he is there but he really wants to watch her play. He has watched so many games this season and he is vested in the team. He knows how hard they have practiced and how close they are as a team. He feels close to Veronica and really wants her to have this success.

Logan watching feels like he is watching one of those Hollywood epic movies. There are so many plot twists and turns; two sides fighting for what they both believe is right and only one can win. His heart feels wrung out and he is unsure of the ending as the game unfolds. All the players are putting it all out there; there is no tomorrow for the loser. At half time he sees all the players trying to hydrate and resting on the bench listening to the pep talk from their coaches. He thinks of the ending of the movie where the soldiers are resting in between battles and getting their wounds tended to. The leader stands and gives them a pep talk and then they all regroup and go out for the final big battle.

Logan looks at Veronica as she lays on the ground at half time. She has drunk her bottle of electrolyte replacement and water and she has her eyes closed. Both teams are across the field from the stands. It has been a battle. Veronica has run miles and Logan can see she is tired. She has only sat out a few minutes and he doubts she will get to sit out in the second half. The players from the opposing team are well disciplined and in good shape. There is no score. The two combatants are evenly matched. The spectators are left with the thought that it is going to be a stoke of luck that tips the scales in favor of the winning team.

Part way in the second half of the game, the other team gets a loose ball and one of the players is in the right place at the right time and puts it in the Neptune goal. Logan feels his heart skip a beat at the despondency of the Neptune High girls. There is not a lot of time left and this is a very good team they are playing.

The green and yellow come out playing hard but the other team is now ahead and only has to play defensively. They kick the ball out of bounds repeatedly and all of them just guard their men making little effort to score themselves; relentlessly running down the time clock.

One of the midfielders from Neptune kicks the ball up field and the curvature of the ball has it heading to the left side of the field by the opposing teams goal. Their defender has positioned herself to be there to block the ball when it arrives. To Logan watching, the play seems to go in slow motion. He can see that Veronica is timing her arrival in the area to coincide with the arrival of the ball. Logan holds his breath sensing that this is going to be important; perhaps a turning point in the battle.

As he watches, drawn to the story, Veronica arrives a split second before the ball reaches the defender who is poised to just kick the ball out of bounds. The petit blond jumps trapping the ball with her chest. When she lands, the ball drops a few feet away and rolls towards the opponent's goal. Veronica lands running and takes control of the ball. She is now past the other team's defender who had been headed towards the sideline.

As Veronica runs towards the opponent's goal, the middle defender, seeing she has broken free, runs over to attack Veronica's line towards the goal. Veronica immediately passes the ball to the open area where she knows her teammate is headed.

Ann, used to playing with Veronica, easily goes to the open area and takes control of the ball when it arrives. She streaks towards the net and Veronica runs with her off to the left. Ann, as she runs into stronger defensive positions passes off to Veronica who has no defender with her in the immediate vicinity. Veronica as soon as she receives the ball takes only one step and kicks the ball hard across the field about as high as the top of the goal posts to the right side of the field.

Logan sees the ball is going to arrive at the right side of the net where Tiffany has only one defender; the goals and both defenders have drifted to the left side of the field protecting the goal from the attack from Veronica and Ann. Tiffany is a gifted scorer and Logan sees that Veronica has given Tiffany an opportunity with the ball where she is not double teamed and has room to maneuver. Ann and Veronica rush the net forcing their defenders to stay with them. Tiffany makes the most of the chance making a nifty move around her defender and shooting a hard kick to the right side of the net between the outstretched goalie and the post; the game is tied.

Logan watches excited for the Neptune team as Veronica, Ann and Tiffany hug and run back towards center for the kick off after the goal. The crowd is cheering and everyone feels like this has been a game befitting the two top teams in the district. Most of the people watching have a favorite team; someone they know plays for one of the teams in the game. However the impressed spectators can see there are two teams full of winners out there.

Logan is so proud of Veronica. The play that resulted in the goal showed a lot of athleticism and a lot of practice. Her innate timing and her ability to control that hard pass was really something special to watch in a game full of special moves.

The game restarts and Logan can see that the flow of the game has changed. With time running short, both teams are playing cautiously not wanting to make a mistake that gives the other team a chance on net. The ball is being kicked out of bounds or down field by both teams.

The ball goes over to Veronica's side of the field and she ferociously guards her area forcing the player to pass. One of Neptune's defenders intercepts the pass and kicks the ball up field. The ball is knocked down but not controlled and rolls loose in the middle of the field. Logan who is always in tune to where Veronica is on the field sees that she is breaking for the other team's net. She is banking on Neptune's midfielder getting to the ball first. If she doesn't, then Veronica will be caught well out of position.

The Chief sitting next to Keith notices Logan at the game sitting away from everyone. He asks Keith why Logan is sitting on the other team's bleachers and Keith tells his friend that Logan broke up with Veronica.

The young man in question has stood watching Veronica make her break and emotionally cheering her on. The Chief seeing Logan's total absorption in the game comments, "He doesn't look like a guy who doesn't care about Veronica."

Keith watching notices the same thing. He says, "I still might have to kill him though."

The Chief laughs and turns his attention back to the game just as Neptune's midfielder gets the ball and kicks it up towards her breaking teammate. Veronica is running hard with the ball and as the defender of the opposing team rushes out to guard her, Veronica looks to pass as she has the whole game to Ann. At the last second, Veronica fakes the pass and runs past the defender creating an advantage opportunity for Neptune.

The noise level in the bleachers increases, partly in anxiety and excitement, at the opportunity at this juncture of the game. Logan is watching and hoping. He is, in his mind, running each step with Veronica. Inside his head he is chanting, 'Go, go, go."

Veronica runs at the opposing goal forcing the middle defender to come out and stop her. Ann, seeing the opportunity, slips in and Veronica passes quickly before Ann is offside giving the speedy forward a break on the net. Ann has only a split second to decide where to shoot before she is blocked by a hard returning player from the opposition. The goalie, guessing correctly, dives to the right getting a hand on the ball before it can go in the net. Veronica driving to the net after her pass arrives at the same time as the defender and throws her body at the ball kicking it at the same time as the defender. Her momentum sends the ball careening into the open corner of the net.

There is a moment of stunned silence and then the Neptune bleachers erupt into applause. Veronica and the defender fall in a tangle which ends up with neither getting up quickly. Ann, after hugging Tiffany, goes over to hug Veronica and sees that Veronica is still on the ground.

She and Tiffany run over to check out Veronica's condition. Veronica is awake and breathing hard. She is lying on her back and has her knees bent with her feet on the ground.

Concerned that her team mate has made no attempt to get up, Ann asks, "Are you OK Veronica?"

Veronica shakes her head and answers quietly, "I think I twisted my ankle."

Tiffany waves the trainer over and turns back to talk to Veronica. She comments, "Nice shot!"

Veronica laughs, although a little weakly from the pain and utter fatigue. She asks, "How is their defender? We hit pretty hard."

Ann looks over and then reports that the other girl is still down. Veronica leans up on her elbows and looks over.

Logan, standing in the bleachers, watched as Veronica fell hard as she scored. He wanted to run out on the field to check on her. Watching the trainer make his way over to his ex-girlfriend, he is frustrated that the trainer is taking so long to get to her.

After a few seconds, he sees Veronica lean up on her elbows and look around. He sighs in relief as he can see she is OK. He was so excited that she scored and was amazed at how she threw her body at the ball for her team. Now she was injured. He knew that if she could get up, she would. She would never want to be taken out.

Keith is also worried about Veronica but he can see she is not severely injured. It looks like her ankle or knee is affected. He looks over and sees how concerned Logan is. He wonders why the young man broke up with his daughter when he so obviously cares about her.

The trainer arrives across the field to see Veronica and she tells him that her right ankle is really hurting. He grasps it and notices that she has blood on her sock. Veronica, seeing her trainer's concern about the blood smiles a little at him explaining, "I got cleated at the start of the second half." He nods and assesses her ankle. Finally he says, "Let's see you walk on it."

She is helped up and the trainer watches as she has difficulty putting her full weight on her injured ankle. He puts his hand on her shoulder pronouncing, "You're done." Looking towards the bench, he waves and two girls from the bench run out. They join their hands together; Veronica sits down and puts her arms around their shoulders allowing them to carry her back to the bench. Veronica is given a large round of applause.

Logan watches as the petit blond he is so worried about is set down and hops over to sit down on the long green player's bench. She raises her leg onto the bench. The trainer helps her remove her cleat, long green sock and shin guard. He can see that her sock has blood on it and she grimaces in pain as the trainer moves her foot and touches the sore area.

Neptune has called a time out while they sort out the player situation since Veronica was pulled. The coach pulls them all to the side and talks to them about the best strategy for how to hold of the pressing offense of the other team for the final two minutes.

The trainer puts a bandage over the cuts on Veronica's leg and wraps her ankle in ice. Logan watches as Veronica cheers her team on from the bench. There are a few heart stopping close plays but Neptune manages to hold off their opposition. When the final buzzer sounds the Neptune players rush on the field to hug their teammates. There is a lot of cheering and clapping from the bleachers.

Logan watches Veronica and sees her raise her arms in celebration. The coach high fives her and the trainer helps her stand. She cheers and claps for her teammates. They rush back to the bench and Veronica is mobbed. Logan laughs as she can't keep her balance and she is knocked over by Tiffany's enthusiasm. She ends up on the ground under a pile of hugging excited girls.

After a few minutes of celebration, the trophies are brought out and both teams line up. Veronica is assisted out to line up with her teammates. The league commissioner talks for a few seconds about how both teams worked hard and deserve a huge round of applause and then the medals are given out to the second place team. A large trophy is presented to their coach and the spectators give a large round of applause to the players.

Logan watches as Veronica gets her medal and he loves the happiness on her face. He has never seen her look more beautiful. She is sweaty, her hair is a mess from her falls and playing so hard and she has no make up left on. Yet she is glowing with happiness and health. He looks at her and feels the heaviness in his heart. He misses her so much. He felt so close to her as a friend and as a boyfriend. He wishes with all his heart that he could hold her, talk to her, kiss her.

The winning trophy is presented to the Neptune High's coach and the commissioner tells them he will see them next week at the State Tournament.

The Commissioner announces that Player of the Game for tonight's game is Veronica Mars. Her team claps excitedly and Veronica looks stunned. He talks about how she scored the winning goal and assisted on the other goal for her team and how she played relentlessly on defense.

The Commissioner smiles and teases, "I guess I will bring your medal over there." The watching audience laughs and Veronica smiles at him as he shakes her hand and puts the medal over her head.

Logan leaves as the fans rush the field to congratulate their loved ones. He doesn't belong there but he is really happy he got to see the game. He is thrilled that Veronica got Player of the Game and a District Championship medal.

He looks at his text messages as he walks to his Xterra and notices that since he last checked his messages at half time, he missed ten messages. Two are from Dick, one from Casey, one from Luke, one from Madison, one from Peter, one from John and three from Lilly. He reads them deleting most of them after he reads them. Mostly they are asking him what he is doing that night. Logan just deletes Madison's text without reading it. When he gets to Lilly's texts, he sees she invited him over telling him she has a new outfit that will 'blow his mind'. The second text tells him that she misses him and can't wait to show him how much. The third text shows a little anger telling him that she is waiting.

Sighing Logan texts his friends telling them he is busy tonight. Logan opens his phone list and depresses four. He closes his eyes for a second as she sees that Veronica is number two after his mother; he hasn't changed her phone position.

When Lilly answers, Logan tells her he had his phone off for the last hour. When she tells him that she is waiting for him, Logan quietly lets her know that he is not in town and won't be home until late. She immediately assumes he has been in LA with his parents and not wanting to deal with her upset, he doesn't correct her assumption. Inside his Xterra, he starts the vehicle and gets on the highway towards Neptune.

While she feels flirty and wants to talk to him telling him she will be waiting for him, Logan is tired and emotionally wrung out from the week's stressors and watching Veronica play her heart out tonight. He tells Lilly he will talk to her tomorrow and he hangs up not really caring if she is angry. She is supposed to be giving him space to make up his mind.

He thinks that the girls he loves are polar opposites. Lilly when he wants her, doesn't want him. Now that he has asked for space, she is trying all her tricks to get him alone. Veronica was faithful to him, loving and supportive. When he asked her for space to think about what he wants and needs, she gave him too much space; she went completely away.


	20. Chapter 20

_Story so Far: AU. Veronica is not part of the Fab 4. Logan and Lilly are on an off period when Logan starts dating Veronica Mars. At first they just agree to date until he goes back to Lilly but soon a few months has gone by. Logan decides not to go back to Lilly and give his relationship with Veronica a real chance. Lilly talks to Logan and tells him she wants him back and is willing to be with just him; no other guys. Logan is torn. He tells Veronica he needs time to sort out his thoughts as he has feelings for both her and Lilly. Veronica is not receptive and tells Logan they are done. Logan tries to talk to Lilly and she avoids talking about their relationship. He talks to Mac trying to find out why Veronica won't even talk to him and she makes him realize that he humiliated Veronica the way Lilly always humiliated him. The students are writing finals and getting ready for the Christmas vacation. _

_Monday Morning_

Logan listens to the announcements and is happy to hear that the Girls' soccer team winning the District Championship is the first announcement. Veronica is announced as winning Player of the Game. He can hear the cheering throughout the classrooms around him. His classmates see his smile; he is obviously happy for his ex girlfriend.

Lilly listening guesses that Logan was not in LA with his parents last night; he was at the soccer game watching Veronica. She is instantly angry thinking about the hours she waited for him to come over and be with her and he was with Veronica.

Logan walks out of homeroom listening to Luke talk about how the pitching coach is insisting the pitchers come back early in the New Year. He is upset because his family is going overseas and his mother is not going to let him come home from their trip early. He is worried that it will affect his playing time next season.

Lilly storms up to Logan and loudly accuses him of going to see Veronica play soccer the night before and ditching her.

Logan's friends stand quietly used to Lilly and Logan fighting. The students in the corridor stop and wait to watch the latest drama between the billionaire's daughter and the son of the famous actors. Instead of getting instantly pissed and defensive around Lilly, Logan ignores her tone and says quietly but firmly, "Lilly if you want to talk to me, we can do it in private."

Unfortunately for Logan's plans to keep his personal business private, Lilly is upset and not uncomfortable with having their relationship issues in the open for all the students to see and hear. "Are you denying you went to watch Veronica instead of coming over to see me?" she spits out, her hands on her hips in obvious upset.

Logan looks at Lilly with her angry posture and frown marring her beautiful face. There is a small pause where Lilly is obviously expecting Logan to answer her back. He surprises Lilly, her posse and the audience by turning away and walking off.

After a short pause of surprise, Logan's friends walk with him towards second period. Logan continues to ignore Lilly as she yells at him that he is an ass and she doesn't need him. He turns to Dick and says, "I think I may need to go surfing this afternoon." He deadpans, "I will probably need a good workout."

"Sounds good," Dick agrees. He pats Logan on the back and says admiringly, "You are the man."

Logan ignores Dick's comment. He knows that Dick thinks he used Veronica to get Lilly back in line and now he is standing up to Lilly. Although Dick is impressed, Logan is really discouraged. It seems like Lilly would like to fall back into how things were before. It is clear that she doesn't want to talk about their relationship at all. He would have been willing to talk to her about last night but not in front of everyone; not anymore. Thinking about his disappointment with Lilly's upset, Logan realizes that Lilly hasn't changed; he has.

He thinks about how different his relationship with Veronica was. She hasn't talked to anyone besides her close friends about their breakup. She doesn't yell at Logan or give him dirty looks. She is calm, quiet and respectful even though she is upset with him.

Logan writes his English final and then heads to Journalism. Mrs. Dent doesn't have a final but she makes her students write a final article for the semester. Logan is excited to go to journalism because he knows Veronica will be there. It turns out she is late because she is on crutches. Logan looks up when the door opens and his heart skips in his chest. Was she more injured than they originally thought?

Without thinking about how it would look to anyone else, he goes over and takes her bag from her and holds out the chair in front of her usual computer spot. Surprised, the petit blond hesitates but then hobbles over and sits in the chair he is holding out for her. She thanks him quietly as she reaches over and turns on her computer.

Logan sits beside her and immediately asks, "Did you go for an x-ray? I didn't realize you had been really hurt. I mean it was a hard collision but I thought it was just a sprain."

Veronica looks at Logan in shock and finally stops his rambling by asking, "You were there?"

He looks sheepish for a second and then admits, "I sat at the other end of the bleachers."

When she looks at him in question, he explains, "I didn't want to upset you in such an important game but I know most of the players and how hard you have all worked…" he trails off.

She realizes that he drove the hour and a half to the game but didn't let anyone know he was there. He just cared about how they did. She can see he is genuinely worried about her injury.

Leaning in a little, she reassures him that her foot is not broken and it is just a bad sprain but the trainer wants her to stay off it for a couple of days and keep it elevated.

As he moves another chair closer for her to put her leg on, he asks concerned, "Shouldn't you have ice on it?"

She has to smile at his worried manner. He is almost as bad as her father. She explains, "I just took ice off and I will put more ice on at lunch."

Veronica turns to type in her password and says kindly to Logan, "You should go and work on your article for Mrs. Dent." She adds teasingly, "Your fans have gotten to expect an article from you."

He knows he has been brushed off and he doesn't blame her. He responds, "Well I shouldn't disappoint my fans." Getting up he looks down at her, his dark brown eyes taking in her tight jeans, peach blouse with matching nail polish on her toes and fingers. Quietly he tells her, "I hope your ankle feels better soon. Good luck in the State Tournament."

She smiles genuinely at him and answers, "Thanks."

He smiles back at her and then walks over to his computer and sits beside Duncan. The classroom watching the conversation between Logan and Veronica sees that he is worried about her ankle but that he goes back over to his side of the room after speaking to her for a minute or so.

It would seem that Logan and Veronica are not back to together despite what Lilly is loudly telling the school. The majority of the gossip is on how Logan walked off while Lilly was yelling at him. It would seem the King of the 09ers is not willing to cater to the Queen anymore.

At lunch Logan gets a telephone call from his mother. She checks that he is OK and asks him how his exams are going so far. Finding a quiet area where he can talk to her undisturbed, Logan listens as she tells him about ordering him a new suit for the Christmas party and how he has to go for a fitting. Finally she asks him if Veronica is with him. Nonplussed he asks her why she wants to talk to Veronica and she easily explains, "Andria is finished making the wig Veronica wanted."

Frowning, Logan asks his mom what she is talking about and she explains that Veronica asked her if she knew anyone who could make a wig quickly. Lynn tells Logan that she got one of the ladies she knows from the set of the last movie to do it. Her voice is happy as she tells her beloved son, "As a favor for me she got it done quickly." She adds, "It looks good. Veronica is going to be so happy."

Confused Logan questions, "Why does Veronica need a wig?"

There is a pause while Lynn processes that Logan doesn't know why Veronica got her hair cut. She slowly explains, "Logan, she donated her hair and had the wig made for sweet little Marie."

Logan is puzzled as Veronica told him that Marie's hair was growing back now. Why would she have a wig made for her now? He knows that Veronica was upset that Marie was getting teased. Perhaps she wanted to help her. He feels a tug in his chest at how Veronica cut her beautiful hair so Marie would feel better.

Wanting to end the conversation, Logan tells his mother that he has to run but he adds, "Ronnie is not here. You'll have to call her."

Lynn assures him she will call Veronica and then tells him that she will call him later. She adds, "I will be home sometime tomorrow. I have to help finalize the plans for the Christmas Party. Your father has to stay until just before the party."

Happy his father won't be home for a few more days, Logan tells his mother goodbye and that he will see her soon before signs off.

Lynn Echolls arrives home from LA Thursday afternoon. She sees that she has received a package in the mail. She pulls it off the table in the entranceway and notes it is from Veronica Mars. Smiling at how much she likes the girl her son is dating, she takes off her coat and then carries the package into the kitchen where she gets a knife and opens the outer paper. The inner paper is a festive Christmas wrap. She is thrilled to find that inside the box is a framed photograph of Logan coming out of the water holding his surfboard. The water is dripping off him. He looks strong, tanned, handsome, healthy and, most of all, he looks happy. Lynn immediately loves the picture. It is wonderfully artistic with Logan in the foreground and his friends still surfing in the background. It captures his love of surfing, the wonder of being young and being with your friends; most importantly, it captures Logan's essence. When he is unguarded, he can be so exuberant and so full of life.

Of course Lynn knows that the picture was taken by Veronica. Her son is so happy with the tiny blonde girl. She has been so very good for him. Lynn has seen a side of her son that she really likes. He is loving, caring and open.

Now though she wonders if Logan and Veronica have broken up. She has not heard from Veronica in a few days. The most telling thing is that Logan is back to being unhappy and closed. He doesn't say much but Lynn knows he is really hurting. She wonders what happened between them.

Logan walks in the door and sees his mother in the kitchen. He goes over and greets her by kissing her cheek. He says, "Mom, welcome home."

She accepts his kiss and answers, "Thank you son. Did you write your last final today?"

He shakes his head telling her, "I still have to write History tomorrow." He adds, "I am pretty sure I did fine in English, Journalism and Algebra but I doubt my Chemistry grade will improve. It was a hard final."

Smiling she shares, "I am so impressed with how good your grades are this semester."

Logan doesn't answer as his gaze has dropped to the picture on the table. He asks, "Where did you get this?"

He already knows the answer. Veronica took the picture. He remembers the day well. It was shortly after he told Veronica he was serious about their relationship and wasn't going back to Lilly. It was an amazing day; one of the best days of his life.

Lynn hands the picture to Logan so he can look at it. "It is a gift from Veronica."

Logan remembers that Veronica was showing his mother pictures of their day at the beach on her camera one evening and Lynn had requested a copy of a picture. He looks back at the picture and comments, "She is talented."

Lynn nods and agrees, "She is. It was really nice of her to send me the picture." She looks at Logan and asks, "How is Veronica doing?"

He sits across the table from his mother and tells her about how the Girls' soccer team won district this week and will play in the State Tournament on the weekend.

Lynn sees the emotions on her son's face and waits patiently for him to tell her what is bothering him. She doesn't have long to wait as after a deep breath he talks about how hard Veronica played and how much heart she had. His eyes light up when he tells her how Veronica won 'Player of the Game' honors and how happy she looked.

Predictably thrilled, Lynn's smile stretches across her face. She clasped her hands together and enthuses, "How wonderful for her!"

She sees Logan looking at the picture and tracing his finger around the frame. Curious she asks, "Why didn't Veronica just bring it over? Did you two break up?"

Logan frowns as he looks down at the picture and answers, "Yes." He meets his mother's questioning gaze and shares, "I told her I needed time." He looks back down at the picture and adds, "She gave me the rest of our lives."

It almost breaks Lynn's heart to see the pain and sadness in her son's eyes. Reaching across the table, she pushes the hair back from his forehead and asks, "Why did you tell her you needed time? It is obvious you love her."

Logan looks at his mother and sees her genuine concern. Reaching a decision he leans his forearms on the table and starts to talk. He tells her about how Lilly wanted him back agreeing to be with just him. He talks about how it is like a dream come true to hear that Lilly is willing to be with just him.

The obviously distressed young man looks out the window at the well manicured back yard for a few seconds while he thinks about how to word his thoughts. Finally he looks back at his mother and tells her about being torn because he loves both Lilly and Veronica. He says, "I was honest with Veronica. I told her what Lilly said and that part of me did want to get back with her." He shares how Veronica won't talk to him or even look at him now.

There is a long pause as Lynn takes in all Logan is telling her and not telling her. She waits to hear what Logan is thinking. Finally he meets her gaze again and shares, "I miss Veronica. I miss talking to her, I miss hearing her stories, and I miss just being with her."

Lynn reaches across the small space and gently pushes the hair back from his face. Logan looks at her and she is saddened to see the hurt in his eyes. He says, "She became a good friend as well as a girlfriend. Now that she isn't talking to me, I just miss her."

Gently his mother soothes him, "Veronica is a sweet girl. She's upset right now but eventually you will get past this and become friends again.'

Looking at his mother he says honestly, "I really hope so."

Lynn seeing her son's pain decides to point out, "You know the last couple of years you dated Lilly, you never once told me you missed her as a friend while you were broken up."

Logan looks at his mother in surprise and his mouth drops open as he realizes that she is right. When he and Lilly are broken up, he doesn't really miss her friendship.

When he first met Duncan and Lilly, he came to count them as two of his best friends. Now he rarely talks to Lilly when they aren't dating and their friendship has deteriorated to more of a battle than a friendship. They don't really talk anymore. In fact, most of the time he suspects she is lying to him and he has had to worry about what she is really doing. This past week he did a lot of soul searching and he has come to realize that both Lilly and Duncan are very closed people. He guesses that dating Veronica he has seen what an open, honest relationship is like.

Veronica used to call him when she couldn't see him and they would talk for a few minutes about his day, his thoughts, his schoolwork, his friends, his family and anything else he wanted to talk about. She was interested in him and his life.

Realization grows upon him like the sun rising and pushing away the dark. He is not friends anymore with Lilly. That is what Veronica tried to show him by shoving the video of him and Lilly fighting in his face. A real friend would not try to hurt and humiliate you in front of everyone. A real friend would not put you down in front of others. A real friend would not publically compare you sexually to her new lovers. He has to face the fact that Lilly Kane is not his friend.

He loved Lilly thoroughly when they were friends and she was his girlfriend. That is the Lilly he keeps going back to. He has to face the fact that the Lilly he loved and was friends with is not there anymore; perhaps they were never really friends.

His mother is watching the look on his face and sees that Logan is deeply thinking about something. Concerned she asks, "Are you all right son?"

He looks at her and says, "Mom, you just helped me to clear things up in my mind."

Leaning in he presses his cheek to hers and then kisses her cheek. Energetically he stands and says, "I have to go. I love you."

A little puzzled but happy at the change in her beloved son's demeanor, she says, "I love you too."

The excited young man walks to the garage and gets into his car. He is truly grateful to his mother for listening to him. Their discussion was very helpful. He now understands what he wants. He wants a relationship with a girl where they are best friends as well as lovers. He wants honestly, fun and love. He can have that with Veronica. He didn't think a guy like him could have that but he could with Veronica.

Now when Logan thinks about it he realizes how he feels is obvious. He had to work harder for Veronica than he did for any other girl except for maybe Lilly. Now things seem so clear; he has true feelings for Veronica. She is his friend, girlfriend, lover and soul mate. Now he just has to convince her to give him another chance.

He needs to talk to her; alone, one on one.

He needs to tell her how he really feels.

He needs to ask for her forgiveness and ask her to trust him again.

He really needs to have her in his life again.

Excited to see her and talk to her, he dials her telephone number and she doesn't answer. He leaves her a message that he really needs to talk to her and to please call him back. After a few seconds thought, he texts her asking her to call him.

He starts his car and drives towards her place. He sees that she is not at home and her car is not there. Frustrated he looks at his phone and sees that Veronica is not answering his call or text.

He waits outside texting Veronica every few minutes. He wonders where she is. It occurs to him that she may be out with Victor. Logan could see that Victor wants to be back with Veronica. He has to admit that he is really worried that she will get back with the smart, lawyer want-to-be.

After a few minutes he sees Veronica's father arrive and park. Logan gets out of his vehicle and asks her father if he knows where Veronica is.

He gives the young man a long look and then says, "She is over visiting Marie this evening." Keith Mars is used to assessing the motivations of the people he deals with. He looks at their eyes, body posture and listens carefully to what they say. Although he doesn't know what happened between his daughter and the spoiled, rich son of two actors, he does know his daughter is very hurt. The only thing Veronica did say was that Logan broke up with her.

However Logan did drive to watch the team play last night and he didn't let anyone know he was there. He sat away from the Neptune fans and left before anyone saw him. It is clear that Veronica means something to this anxious young man who is now trying to find her.

Keith relents a little and tells Logan that Veronica is staying overnight with Marie so her parents can attend the California Firefighters' Awards in LA. He explains how Derek is receiving an award for his work and his volunteerism. He adds, "Marie wanted him to go and Veronica agreed to stay over to help Cynthia's mother so that they would feel more comfortable about going."

Logan is not surprised that Veronica stepped in to help. She is so good with people; so caring.

Watching the tall young man, Keith sees his face soften when he hears how Veronica is helping with Marie. He can see that Logan Echolls has feelings for his daughter. Honestly he is not surprised. He is biased but Veronica is a loving young woman and the guys she dates have respect for her and care for her. He knows that both Josh and Victor would have agreed to keep seeing his daughter even after they moved and both of them contact her even now. It was Veronica who did not want the problems of a long distance relationship while she was young. Now it seems that her latest serious boyfriend has strong feelings for her as well.

Keith advises Logan, "You won't be able to see Veronica tonight. Mac and Erica went over there with her armed with all the trappings of a pajama party. They are going to do makeovers, watch movies and whatever other things girls do at parties."

Logan does understand that Veronica loves Marie and thinks of her as a little sister. He is proud of her for being there for her and her family. He is just disappointed that he can't talk to her tonight.

The father in Keith is torn. Part of him wants to tell the young man who hurt his daughter to stay away from her. The other part of him knows that his daughter was happy with him and really cared about him. He doesn't know what happened between them but he can see that Logan does care about Veronica.

Frustrated Logan asks Mr. Mars to please tell Veronica to call him if she gets a chance tonight and he heads out to his car after he is assured that Keith will pass on his message when he talks to Veronica later. Driving home he thinks about how Veronica has not answered any of his calls or texts since he told her he still had feelings for Lilly. Deep inside he knows that he is not going to hear from Veronica tonight.

Unfortunately for Logan's state of mind and his plan to get back together with Veronica, she writes her final exam on Friday and then catches the bus to go to LA for the State Finals for soccer without him having the opportunity to see her and talk to her.

Logan does not have the option of going to the State Tournament; it would upset his father if he does not stay for the annual Echolls Family Christmas Party. Logan is almost willing to take the physical beating he would receive for upsetting his father but two things stop him from going to LA. The first is that his mother has worked hard on the party and she wants him there. He should be there to support her. She is stressed over the party as Aaron expects her to make their party the party of the season. His mother is really worried about upsetting him. Secondly Veronica is in a soccer tournament that is important to her. Logan knows he shouldn't upset her right now.

So he supports his mother, attends the party to end all parties. His mother outdid herself by having a five piece string orchestra that quietly and tastefully plays Christmas music in the background and the house is decorated in a winter wonderland theme with fake snow covering the grounds outside.

Over the weekend he wonders how she is doing but he doesn't call her. He wants to talk to her but he doesn't think it is the right time. She needs to focus on playing soccer.

_Sunday Night_

Logan drives over to Veronica's place determined to talk to her. Her car is there so he knocks firmly on the door. Her father answers and tells him that she is walking Back Up on the beach. Logan walking down the beach finds her sitting in the sand. She has been ignoring his calls so he is a little leery about approaching her. He hopes he can find the right words to tell her that he realized he doesn't love Lilly anymore.

The look on her face and her demeanor darken when she sees him. She stands up and he can see she is planning to go back home without talking to him. He steps in her way and she frowns at him. He starts by congratulating her on finishing third in the State Tournament. She quietly thanks him and then starts to walk around him towards the stairs to leave the beach.

"Veronica stop," he entreats. Stepping in her way again he says, "I know what I want now. Please listen."

She waves him off and says, "Look Logan I don't have time right now to deal with what happened between us." She walks around him holding onto Back Up's leash.

Looking closely at her he notices her upset. Grabbing her wrist to stop her from leaving he asks, "What's wrong?"

She looks back at him and sees his concern. Quietly she says, "Marie is out of remission."

Immediately horrified, he exclaims, "Oh my god! Is she OK?"

Her eyes tear and she shakes head. Logan pulls her into his arms and hugs her; giving her the support she needs.

Being in his arms breaks through her walls. She puts her face into his chest and the tears come. Logan wraps his arms around her and moves one hand up to hold her head against his chest while the other hand rubs her back soothingly. He doesn't know what to say. Veronica has come to think of Marie as her little sister and he knows this must be really hard on her.

Softly he asks, "How is Marie taking it?"

Pulling away and backing up a few steps, Veronica looks up at Logan and answers, "She is acting like she is not worried but I can see she is scared." Veronica adds meaningfully, "The doctors are telling Cynthia and Derek that they will try another chemotherapy but her cancer is very aggressive." Sniffing she adds, "If the new chemotherapy doesn't work, she may not make it."

Logan is really worried. He only met Marie once and she was a cute, sweet little girl. She had good grades in school and planned to go to college and be a doctor.

Logan checks, "You had your hair cut for Marie?"

Nodding she says, "Yes, her hair grew back a little but now she is trying a new chemo, it will fall out again." Pausing she adds, "Last time she wore hats. I didn't want her to get teased again."

Seeing he is interested, she shares, "Please tell your mom that Marie loved her wig." Veronica talks about how they had a make over party and tried to make Marie feel better about losing her hair again. She pulls her phone out of her pocket and shows Logan the picture she took of Marie posing with her make up, hair and nails done wearing her new wig.

Logan holds the phone and sees the genuine smile on Marie's face and feels a real tug in his chest. It is just wrong that she is so sick and so young. He slides the picture over and looks at the ones Veronica took of all the girls posing together. The one of Marie and Veronica together is especially poignant. The two girls are hugging and laughing; faces side by side as they both look towards the camera. Marie has dark brown eyes and it is odd to see her hair blond as she is normally a brunette. It is really cute to see them with the same hair color.

He comments while he is looking at the pictures of their evening together, "These are great pictures!" Meeting her gaze he adds, "I love the one of the two of you together."

Nodding Veronica reaches and takes back her phone. He can see that she is trying not to cry. She shares, "I printed it up and framed it for me."

He puts his hands in his pants pockets and asks, "When will they find out if the new chemo is working?"

Shaking her head a little Veronica tells him, "Cynthia says they will see the doctor every week to have Marie's blood work done." Worried Veronica adds, "I think the doctor will decide if she needs more doses of the chemo depending on how she is feeling and the blood results."

For Veronica being held in Logan's arms was bittersweet. She has been avoiding him and telling herself that she would eventually get over him. Although she tried not to watch, she can see he has not gotten back with Lilly. Ruthlessly she tells herself that although they are not back together, Logan belongs to Lilly and the sooner she accepts that and moves on, the better.

Veronica carefully wipes the tears from her eyes. The pause between them is a little awkward now. She says, "Sorry I cried on you."

Logan immediately reassures her, "It's OK. That is awful news about Marie."

Nodding Veronica looks up the beach, "I should go."

Trying to get her to wait, he starts, "Look Veronica I need to talk to you."

"I have to go to home." she tells him as she looks up towards her home.

Stepping closer Logan says, "Ronnie, I am so sorry I hurt you. I know how I feel now."

Interrupting Veronica puts her finger to her chin and asks sarcastically, "Why do I get this feeling of déjà vous?"

A little frustrated Logan explains, "I dated Lilly since I was twelve years old. I thought I would always love her. I thought we would get married one day." Softening his tone he steps closer to Veronica and tells her, "I realize now that I don't love Lilly anymore." He gently squeezes her arm. "You know how my home life is. Lilly, Duncan and Meg were my home. They were the only ones who understood and cared."

Veronica sighs as she really can see how close the Fab 4 were and now that she has gotten to know Logan, she can understand why he was so drawn to having people who really cared about him.

Encouraged she is listening, Logan explains, "I was tempted to get back with Lilly when she agreed to only date me and give our relationship a chance."

Pausing a second to see she is still listening, he carries on, "I didn't get back with her because I have such strong feelings for you. I didn't know, until you taught me, that there is so much more out there even for a guy as screwed up as me. I really hope that Lilly finds that someday too but I now know that I am not the right guy for her and she is not the right girl for me."

Logan reaches over and gently takes her arm. He confesses, "I was confused but now I am sure. I am really sorry I hurt you. I just want a chance to show you that I love you. I miss you."

Shaking her head Veronica pulls her arm from his and looks at him. She says firmly, "I took a chance on us and we didn't work out." Meeting his gaze she tells him, "I have eaten my last pint of ice cream over you Logan Echolls." She turns and walks away. Back Up follows her.

Watching her walk away Logan feels almost overwhelming frustration and pain. He can see that Veronica is very serious about not giving him another chance. As far as she is concerned, they are done.


	21. Chapter 21

_Story so Far: AU. Veronica is not part of the Fab 4. Logan and Lilly are on an off period when Logan starts dating Veronica Mars. At first they just agree to date until he goes back to Lilly but soon a few months has gone by. Logan decides not to go back to Lilly and give his relationship with Veronica a real chance. Lilly talks to Logan and tells him she wants him back and is willing to be with just him; no other guys. Logan is torn. He tells Veronica he needs time to sort out his thoughts as he has feelings for both her and Lilly. Veronica is not receptive and tells Logan they are done. While Logan tries to sort out his feelings, Veronica tries to get over him. A talk with his mother makes things clearer to Logan. When he tells Veronica he is sure he loves her now, she tells him he is too late. The students are writing finals and getting ready for the Christmas vacation._

Logan doesn't know what to do about his relationship or lack thereof with Veronica. After his talk with her where she told him she wasn't willing to take another chance on him, Logan had been unable to get to talk to her alone. They had the last two examination days and he had not seen her as most students went home after their exams.

The final edition for this year of the Neptune Navigator made it to press in time for the last day of school. Logan helped the editors with the layout as they were pressed for time to meet the deadline. Logan's article was placed on the front page; this time despite his objections that other students had been more noteworthy and newsworthy. The top 09er was surprised to learn that since he started contributing, the interest in the paper had increased substantially. Cynically, Logan had quickly dismissed the increase in circulation to his 'son of famous actors' status but Chris, the editor-in-chief, had disagreed telling a surprised Logan that he is a gifted writer and should consider using his talent somehow in the future.

Logan was secure in his belief that it didn't matter what other people thought. He had perfected his distain and wore it like a cloak. Now he was learning that he was a part of the network of life and he did need to interact with his fellow high school citizens. Watching Veronica be an active part of society as a whole; watching her try to make the world a better place has taught Logan that he is not an island. He can't just invite a few people into his world and ignore the rest of the population. Through Veronica, he has met other students who are gifted in their own right; who, like him, are just trying to make sense of their situations and find their way.

Andrea wrote a great article about the girls' soccer team winning the District title and finishing third at State. The picture was of the team posing with the District Champion Trophy. Veronica look good with her flushed face and messy hair. Due to her short stature, she was sitting in the front row. Frank wrote an article about the video Veronica made for her Photography class and how it was being sent for consideration for a State Award. The article contained information on how to view her video on line and the names of two other students who had their videos submitted for state consideration and how to view their submissions. The article merely said that Veronica's video was about Bullying.

Logan, of course, watched the video and he was so impressed by Veronica's photography talent. She and Derek sang a song by Peter, Paul and Mary called "Don't Laugh at Me". Veronica took pictures that blended perfectly with the music and it was a moving portrait of the struggles that people went through and how they deserved understanding and support, not torment. Part way through there was a picture of Marie with a brightly colored scarf on her head hooked up to the intravenous that contained her chemotherapy medication. She looked right at the camera and pulled off her scarf showing her bald head. Logan was blown away by her bravery and her poise. Logan can't imagine this video not winning a prize at the State Competition. In fact, the last time he looked at the video, it had over 20,000 hits.

On the last day of school for the semester the students were anxious to be let out for Christmas Break. It had been a long semester and even the teachers were excited about Christmas. Logan dutifully walked with Dick, Cassidy and John to the auditorium to watch the Christmas Program put on by the music and the drama departments. It was usually a big snore but he knows a few of the 09ers are performing today. Truthfully though he is anxious to hear Veronica. He knows she felt obligated to help Derek when Madison left him in the lurch since he helped her with the music for her photography video.

As usual Meg sang a religious Christmas song. She has a beautiful voice and Logan knows she got a great grade in the music class. Her voice rose beautifully above the music and echoed through out the auditorium. He clapped happily for her knowing she deserved the accolades for all her hard work.

Madison, of course, came out in a skimpy Santa costume and sang 'Santa Baby'. Logan clapped but he thought her performance was a little too over the top. It reminded him of watching his father and Connor Larkin when they were at parties; a little too effuse and a little too loud.

After a few more groups from the music class perform, Veronica comes out with Derek. She is wearing a short green dress that is form fitting to her tiny waist and hips. Derek and Sal are wearing suits with green shirts. They look good together.

Logan listens interestedly as the music starts and the trio starts to sing. They are all blending their voices together to make the music. Logan immediately sees why Madison opted out of the group. She would not like the fact she is not the center of attention. In the medley of Christmas songs they perform, no one singer has the lead. The thing is they sound really good together. The result of them singing together is a full sound and each voice is like part of the music. Looking over Logan can see that the music teacher is very pleased with their performance and they do get a big round of applause when they are done.

After school is over, the students head excitedly for home. They are now free until the second week of January. It has been a long semester and they are grateful for the break from the school routine and that their finals are over.

Logan walks towards his Xterra to go home. He sees Lilly waiting for him there with her posse. Duncan, walking beside Logan, also notices his sister with her friends. He comments, "She looks upset."

Logan nods and sighs. He finds that for the first time, he is not really happy to see Lilly waiting for him. He nods goodbye to Duncan and continues to walk towards his vehicle. When he arrives, he tells Madison, Susan and Kim to take off. "I need to talk to Lilly alone."

The girls look at Lilly to see what she wants them to do. Logan, irritated, points out, "Next year Lilly won't be here but I still will be. You really don't want to have me pissed off at you."

The girls looks really uncertain and Logan pointedly waves them off and turns to face Lilly. They leave while Lilly smirks at Logan and says, "You are taking charge more. It's very sexy." She moves closer to him and he doesn't respond as she touches his chest invitingly.

"Lilly we are not doing this," he tells her firmly. "I don't feel that way about you anymore."

Lilly looks a little shocked. Logan realizes that he has been too blunt and he is upsetting her. He takes a deep breath and restarts, "Lil. I thought we belonged together. We would get married someday." He looks into her beautiful blue eyes and shares, "Now I realize that we are not good for each other. We both have family issues and because of them, we thought we were perfect for each other."

Unsure now that her plan is not working, she moves closer and says, "Logan, we **are** good together. You know who I am and I know who you are. We will just party, have fun and travel." Looking up at him she whispers seductively, "I can be very fun Logan."

When he doesn't answer her blatant invitation, she moves even closer and adds quietly, "I don't understand why you don't want to get back together. I really missed you. I want to be with you."

"You and I used to be good friends. I could really talk to you." Sadly he says, "Now we just fight and hurt each other." He meets her gaze and confidently tells her, "I don't want to fight anymore. I want a real relationship; one with sharing, caring as well as loving."

Upset at his stubborn wish to change their relationship, she tells him, "Logan we aren't like other people. You are not good for a regular girl. I am not good for a regular guy. We are only good together. We are not meant to have the marriage, house, children, PTA. That is for others, not us." She looks sad and repeats, "People like us aren't meant for that."

Logan sees that he is really hearing the truth from Lilly. She doesn't think anyone could ever make him happy or she can ever be happy. She thinks that they belong together because they are both too fucked up. He gently reaches up and caresses the soft skin on her cheek and he questions, "Why do you think we can't have a regular relationship?"

She isn't looking at him but he can see the pain on her face. He presses, "You can have the marriage, children, and picket fence life if you want. You can be happy and loved."

To his horror Lilly's eyes water and she shakes her head angrily. She steps away from his attempt to comfort her and spits out, "That is not me Logan. I am not good for a guy like that."

He has known Lilly for years and he can see that she is really hurting. "Lil, this latest guy really got to you didn't he?" Logan questions.

He watches as Lilly closes down. He gentles his voice and encourages, "You don't have to be like your parents Lilly. You can be happy."

Lilly looks away from Logan and woodenly tells him, "You are fooling yourself if you think we can be good spouses, parents and live happily ever after." She waves between them and continues, her voice shaking, "We aren't the touchy feely types. We can't be what we aren't." Flatly she adds, "When you come to your senses, let me know."

Logan watches as she walks away. For the first time he sees the extent of the damage her parents have done to her. She truly doesn't feel worthy to be loved.

Driving home Logan ponders this new revelation. He saw himself as damaged but he always viewed the rest of the Fab 4 as normal. Now that he has dated Veronica, he realizes that even Meg and Duncan did not have a good relationship. They both just played the part of in love and perfect. Now he sees that they didn't have problems because they didn't have deep feelings for each other. Now in hindsight, he can clearly see that he and Lilly migrated to each other because of their poor self images. They were passionate but that was really all they had. They didn't really like or understand each other. They were not good for each other.

He has thought about his parent's relationship and the marriages of his friends' parents. He knows that he doesn't want to have the superficial marriages where each one finds other interests or flings and then pretends to be happy at social functions. He also doesn't want the wild partying social relationship his parents have where you have all your fun socially but no closeness or fun at home.

He wants to go home from the party and have the most fun at home. He wants Veronica. He is not afraid of the normal life anymore. He now imagines the house, picket fence, kids, baseball, ballet… the whole deal. He can imagine coming home from whatever job he has to Veronica and their children. He can imagine family gatherings where there is laughter, acceptance, love, security. The thing he learned with Veronica is that he can want a normal life and that it is actually possible. He has come to hope for the future; he hopes things can be different for him and he hopes that he won't self destruct and mess up his future because of his past.

The thing is his life is messy. He has a father who whips him, a mother who drinks and takes her magic pills to opt out of her life and a sister who doesn't see the world outside herself. He only has a couple of close friends and he has a lot of acquaintances who are with him because his parents are rich and famous. He has a lot of issues; that might be the understatement of the century.

He is leaving for LA in the morning and then they are headed to Italy for Christmas. His parents have rented a house there.

He won't see Veronica until after the New Year now. He couldn't find her at school. She was busy before the Christmas concert and surrounded by her friends afterwards.

Veronica doesn't answer his calls. She doesn't want to see him. By the time he gets back to Neptune and gets to talk to her, they will have been broken up a month. She is trying her best to get over him and he definitely doesn't want her to succeed. Logan gets out his phone and makes some calls. He has to talk to Veronica tonight.

Hours later, Logan waits on the beach with a picnic basket and blanket. He looks at his watch and wonders where John and Peter are with Veronica. What could be taking them so long? His phone beeps and he sees that he has a message from Cassidy. It has a video with it. Logan opens the message and video. His mouth drops open in surprise and then irritation. How did simple instructions like 'bring Veronica to the beach' go so awry?

Veronica leaves work holding the piece of cake she got for Marie. It is Marie's favorite; double chocolate. Maybe she can tempt Marie into eating. She has been so nauseated with the new chemotherapy. She looks so tired.

As she rounds the corner of the building, she sees John and Dick leaning on her car. Frowning she slows down her fast pace and assesses the situation. They appear to be waiting for her but she doesn't see Logan anywhere. They both stand when she arrives

"Veronica, Logan wants to talk to you. You can leave your car here. We will drive you to him," John tells her as he waves her towards Dick's truck.

Immediately shaking her head she says, "Sorry I have other plans." Trying to brush past them to the door of her car she is a little flustered when they don't move to let her pass.

Trying again, John coaxes, "Logan will drive you back to your car after."

"After what?" she questions.

Dick raises his eyebrows suggestively, "What do you two kids do when you are alone together?"

Instantly angry with the big blonde idiot she spits out, "I know that you are failing English but let me slow it down for you. I….. have….. other ….. plans." She looks up at him and demands, "Now move."

Trying to salvage the conversation John quietly pleads, "Veronica please just come with us. You can talk to Logan about your other plans."

"Logan and I are not dating anymore. Now please move so I can get to my car," she tries to calm her voice and be reasonable.

Dick orders, "Let's go. We have other things to do too."

Frustrated with the whole situation, she strongly suggests, "Just go then."

John tries to reason with her. "Look Logan just wants to talk to you. Please just come. Tomorrow he is leaving for LA and then Italy."

Unimpressed by John's suggestion, Veronica firmly points out, "I have to go. Please move."

"Fuck it," a very impatient and irritated Dick cuts in. He grabs her arm and pulls her towards his truck causing her to drop the clear plastic package holding the cake.

The annoyed petit young woman pulls back on her arm and raises her voice, "Look what you make me do." When he continues to pull her towards his truck she struggles in earnest yelling, "Let go of me."

The situation rapidly escalates from that point. Not wanting to bruise her arm, Dick bends down and lifts Veronica tossing her over her over his shoulder. The move causes her to drop her purse and she yells, "Put me down you big Neanderthal."

When he doesn't immediately put her down she reaches around and grasps his ear, twisting it hard.

Yelling in pain Dick bends over and puts her down. The downward momentum causes her to land on her heels. One breaks and she can't catch her balance and she falls to the pavement.

John is alarmed that Veronica has fallen and moved towards her to offer his assistance. Unfortunately, the altercation has drawn the attention of four young men who are headed into the restaurant. They come over with the intention of rescuing the screaming girl.

Logan watching the video replay cannot believe what he is seeing. When the young men arrive, Dick tells them to mind their own business.

Veronica seeing her chance to escape immediately goes into 'damsel in distress' mode and tells them that Dick is her ex boyfriend and he didn't take their break up very well.

While Dick is busy denying they dated, Veronica turns on the tears and cries, "I just want to go home."

One young man picks up her purse and assists her to her car. John wisely grabs Dick and says, "Let's go."

Pissed off Dick says, "Fuck it. I don't know what Logan sees in her." He pushes John away from him but heads over to his truck and gets in slamming the door.

The video ends there. Logan just closes his eyes in disbelief. He takes a deep breath and lets it out. He has to see Veronica and find out if she is OK. It looks like she fell pretty hard on the cement. Going to his knees he packs up the picnic basket, picks it up as well as the blanket and heads to his Xterra.

Shaking his head as he walks up the beach, he thinks he must really love her because she is very frustrating!

Later that evening, Veronica leaves Marie's house and walks down the front walk towards her car. Part way down the walk she stops in surprise. Parked across the street is a yellow Xterra and the owner of the vehicle in question is sitting in the passenger seat of her LeBaron.

She frowns and then resumes walking towards her car. She really doesn't want to see or talk to Logan. Right now she is tired, sore and worried sick about Marie. She doesn't need any more stress in her life.

Logan notices a few things about Veronica. Firstly, she is unhappy to see him waiting for her. Secondly, she is now wearing flip flops and thirdly, she is limping a little. He is going to kill Dick for manhandling Veronica and injuring her.

When she gets close to her car, Logan reaches into the cooler he has in the back seat and pulls out ice cream. He looks at Marie's house and then at Veronica. He mildly says, "I think this is an ice cream night."

Disarmed at the sight of her favorite ice cream and the fact Logan knows her so well, she sighs and agrees, "It is."

"Do you want me to drive?" he asks quietly.

She gives in and shakes her head, "No, I'll meet you at my place and we can walk Back Up."

Nodding his agreement he puts the ice cream back in the cooler and replaces the lid. Getting out he goes around and opens her door for her. She gets in without meeting his gaze and puts her keys in the ignition while he shuts her door. He watches while she drives away then goes over and gets in his baby to follow her.

Logan arrives in the parking lot just behind Veronica and parks in a visitor's spot. He gets out and goes over to help Veronica out of her car. Before she steps out he bends down to examine her legs. He can see the scrape on her left leg and grasps her leg above and below the injury to look at it closely. Shaking his head he comments, "Dick is an idiot! Were you hurt anywhere else?"

She bites her lip at his touch and when he looks up at her, she shakes her head. Logan is relieved. He says, "Do you have some antibiotic ointment and bandages?"

"It's fine," she finds her voice enough to comment.

Logan keeps his warm palm on her calf as he looks at the scrape on her lower leg. Shaking his head he says, "It doesn't look like there is dirt or gravel in it."

Putting out his hand for hers he says, "Let me see your hands."

Veronica frowns at him and asks, "How do you know what happened?"

A scowl crosses his handsome face as he thinks about her falling, "Beav sent me the video. I'm going to kill Dick for hurting you."

Keeping his gaze she puts her hands out for him to look at. Sure enough there is a scrape on her left hand where she put it down to cushion her fall.

Upset Logan leans in and kisses it. Veronica looks at his head as he leans over her hand. This boy tears her up inside like no other. Right now she just wants to wrap her arms around him and have him hold her. Unfortunately he is not hers; he loves Lilly Kane. Although it hurts she really needs to get over him now. Maybe she will feel better by the time school starts again next semester.

Standing Logan puts his hand out for hers and helps her out of the car. He says, "Let's clean up your scrapes before we walk Back Up."

Without comment she takes his hand to stand but once she is standing she lets go and leans back into the car to get out her purse.

Logan leans into the back and pulls out the ice chest he bought. He walks behind her up to her apartment.

After he helps her clean up her scrapes he gets her to sit on her couch telling her, "I'll walk the little man killer while you rest." He hands her the pint of ice cream he bought for her and says, "Just relax and I'll be back in a few minutes."

Tired she nods and leans back against the comfortable cushions and opens the lid of the ice cream. She is not surprised to find that Logan is taking care of her. He is a guy who doesn't mind looking after his girlfriend.

It doesn't escape her notice that he is an expert at first aid. Veronica talked to her grandfather in private under the guise of Christmas gift discussion. He told her he was making good progress on 'the ex boyfriend issue'. Obviously her father had told him that Logan broke up with her.

Quietly she told him, "I still worry even though he is an ex."

He had been expecting her answer and told her that he was gathering the information they needed. "Veronica, he is a very powerful and dangerous man. We have to get the proper information to the right person in the right way or it will all be worse for your friend."

She merely told him that she trusted him. She is flying up to spend a week with him after Christmas and she is really looking forward to it. It will be nice to get away from Neptune for a few days. Her father will be busy working and her friends will be out of town with their families.

While she is thinking about her trip to Seattle, Logan comes back in. Back Up looks much more subdued now that he has run off some of his excess energy but he still rushes over to see her when he gets in the door.

Logan looks over to see how Veronica is doing and sees that she has not turned on the TV and she is sitting in the same spot he left her. She has been eating her ice cream though. She reaches over to pet her dog and musters up some enthusiasm to see him. Logan wishes she was excited to see him as well.

He hangs up the leash and then goes over to wash his hands before he sits down. Veronica watching him remembers the routine they had when they walked her dog. They washed up in the kitchen sink together and the close quarters usually invoked a little kissing time.

When Logan sits at the other end of the couch, she starts the conversation, "Let me see the latest video that I have the starring role in."

He reaches in his pocket and gets out his phone and while he his loading the video to play he reassures her, "This video won't be out in public. Cassidy took it and sent it to me to let me know why John and Peter would not be bringing you to the beach where I was waiting for you."

"It was John and Dick," she points out.

Nodding Logan says, "Peter went home for a family dinner so John asked Dick to help him."

Veronica leans over and takes the phone from Logan and watches the video. Unexpectedly, she begins to laugh as she watches it and when the video ends she is laughing hard.

Logan is puzzled at first but ends up smiling at her infectious laughter. Although he is upset with Dick dropping Veronica, he does see the humor in the tiny girl twisting his ear and making him scream.

Veronica puts the phone down between them and looks at the handsome young man who has been trying to talk to her. Getting over him would be so much easier if she didn't have to see him everyday and he wasn't so intent on talking to her. Putting her head back against the couch she decides to get their discussion over with, "So what do you want to talk to me about?"

The young man turns to face her and puts his arm along the back of the couch. He starts, "I am not sure how to explain what I am feeling. You were only on the periphery of how close Lilly, Duncan, Meg and I were but I am sure that you saw how much we were together."

Logan unconsciously sighs as he talks about those times. He meets her gaze and carries on, "You know how it is at home for me. Lilly, DK and Meg tried their best to keep me away from him. I never had that before. They became my family."

"It seems naive now." He runs his hand through his hair without conscious thought and Veronica can see that he is experiencing more emotion as he continues the story, "I guess I thought they had the perfect homes and childhoods and I was really messed up. They accepted me and loved me anyways. They got me through those years. They mean the world to me for that."

Veronica thinks back over what she remembers about Logan, the Kane siblings and Meg during middle school. They were certainly inseparable. She comes back to Logan's voice. "Now that I am older I am beginning to see that although they will always mean a lot to me, they have their own issues and challenges to get through."

He reaches over and takes her hand as he talks. "Lilly and I probably shouldn't have started dating. We should have just stayed friends."

There is a pause as he thinks about how to word his thoughts and he gently caresses her hand. Veronica can see that this is important to Logan so she just waits to hear what he wants her to know. Finally he says, "Once we started dating our friendship deteriorated. Instead of being her friend, I became one of the many men she manipulated." He adds, "I just didn't think a guy like me could have a real relationship until I started dating you."

Veronica looks at him in surprise. "When Lilly and I were broken up, I just picked an interim girl who I never cared about and none of them ever challenged my thought process on what a relationship should be like."

Shifting closer he says, "Then I saw you in your soccer uniform across the Quad and I was attracted to you. Once we started dating, you were so much more than an interim girl to me. We were friends, lovers and you cared about me despite my messed up life."

A little frustrated he exclaims, 'I am not sure if I am explaining what I feel properly. How do you tell someone how your beliefs on love changed because of them? How do I make you see that my view on love was from a father that hates me, a mother who doesn't love me enough to or just can't get me out of the situation and the girl I thought was perfect for me keeps looking for other men because I am not enough for her?"

He reaches up and gently caresses her cheek as he finishes, "All that changed when we dated. You taught me to expect more; to want more. I not only had to let go of Lilly, I had to let go of my whole thought process of what love was and what I wanted and needed for the future."

"The thing is," he starts, "After putting up with Lilly's lies all these years and watching my father lie to my mother, I vowed I would never treat anybody like that. When I talked to Lilly and she offered to get back with me and it would be just me, it was what I always wanted. I didn't know what to think. I was so happy with you but Lilly seemed so sincere. I was torn. I needed to think about what I really wanted. I told Lilly I had to think and then I told you I had to think. I just wanted to be honest with both of you. I didn't realize how much I was going to hurt you both."

She can see he is being open with her. She is just not sure what to think about what he is telling her.

His frustration is evident as he bends a little to meet her gaze, "I have had to change my whole thought process with you. My life is a mess. My relationship with Lilly was a mess; it matched my life. I thought that was all I would ever have. Now I am trying to learn how to be a normal boyfriend and I am not sure how to do that but I know I really want to try." Finishing he tells her, "I want that more than anything."

"I don't know what to say," Veronica tells him.

He sees that she is really not sure what to think. "Look Veronica, I know I messed up. I am very sorry that I hurt you and that I humiliated you. I was trying to be honest. I wasn't trying to hurt you."

He meets her gaze and opens up, "I am really ready to let Lilly go. I am ready to be in a real, open and honest relationship. Please give me another chance Veronica. Please give us another chance," he begs. "I am sure now."


	22. Chapter 22

_Story so Far: AU. Veronica is not part of the Fab 4. Logan and Lilly are on an off period when Logan starts dating Veronica Mars. At first they just agree to date until he goes back to Lilly but soon a few months has gone by. Logan decides not to go back to Lilly and give his relationship with Veronica a real chance. Lilly talks to Logan and tells him she wants him back and is willing to be with just him; no other guys. Logan is torn. He tells Veronica he needs time to sort out his thoughts as he has feelings for both her and Lilly. Veronica is not receptive and tells Logan they are done. A conversation with his mother helps Logan realize it is really Veronica he wants and needs. Unfortunately she is set of getting over him._

Veronica sits gratefully on the hard metal chair while putting her drink down on the table and her parcels on the floor by her feet. Her ankle is still a little sore from twisting it last night and her leg is sore from where she scraped it when she fell on the pavement. Of course walking the length of the mall as she shopped has not helped the pain. It feels good to just sit for a few minutes.

Each of the palm trees in the food court is decorated with a multitude of small lights that twinkle on and off. There are garlands hanging over each small business in the food court and the music is bright and cheery with stories of Frosty the Snowman, Jingle Bells or the impending arrival of Santa Claus who is nosily concerned about whether you have been naughty or nice.

As she looks around at all the other shoppers taking a break in the food court she realizes that this year, Christmas has changed for her. Normally this time of year fills her with good cheer and tidings. She loves finding just the right gift for each person on her list, decorating the tree and house, buying a new party dress, helping with the baking and cooking a huge dinner. She especially relished how people seemed more tolerant of each other during the holiday season.

The fact is going through the cancer with Marie has changed her outlook on life. It has made her focus on what is really important and what is not. This holiday season she is wondering how to make things better for the children on the "Toys for Christmas' list and of course, for Marie, Cynthia and Derek. Suddenly the trappings of the holiday season seem so superficial.

Today she is at the mall with Erica. They were doing their last minute present shopping and she was buying a gift for Marie and Cynthia. She found them matching silk pajamas for relaxing around the house. Hopefully they would both be comfortable and feel a little spoiled. She didn't know what to get Derek so she made him an album with pictures of all the guys at the firehouse and precinct. He is so stressed with Marie's illness and the mounting debt that she wanted to remind him that he is not alone; he is loved and part of a big family who will be there for him.

Veronica knows she is not privy to all that is happening with Marie but she can see that her parents are deeply concerned. So far Marie is not responding to the new medicines since she came out of remission. Although everyone is talking like Marie is going to be OK, deep inside Veronica is worried. She thinks of Marie as her little sister and she loves so much about her. She can't imagine that Marie could die. She is so young, so full of life and has so much to live for. How can she die when she hasn't even had a real chance to live yet? It isn't fair.

Yesterday Marie went to the clinic and had another dose of chemotherapy. She slept all last evening emotionally and physically exhausted from the stress of the harsh medications and being sick with the cancer. Veronica had gone over for a little while to visit with Marie and to keep Cynthia company. Cynthia's sister and mother are coming tomorrow to spend Christmas with them but Veronica can see that the stress of looking after Marie and keeping care of the house has exhausted the young mother.

Veronica overheard her Dad talking with the Chief about having some fundraisers to help pay for all of Marie's treatments. Apparently the insurance only covers a portion of all the care Marie has had and the bills are starting to pile up. The Chief said that Derek told him that the new chemotherapy they are trying is very expensive.

Veronica has picked up some extra shifts at work before she goes to Seattle to visit her Grandfather and she will donate the money to Marie's fund but of course, it won't even be a scratch on what is owed she is sure.

Tiredly she takes a sip of her soda and absently rubs her temple where a headache born of fatigue and stress is forming. This morning she, Erica and Mac had gone to the firehouse and helped wrap the last of the donated toys. Tomorrow is the 'Toys for Children' party at the Community Center. She will go in the morning and help decorate the main hall and then spend the afternoon helping cook the holiday meal. Although she really enjoys watching the children eat the Christmas dinner and then open the toys they get from Santa, she is always a little relieved when it is over. School and exams are finally over. She can relax with the friends who are still in town and spend some time with her father. He is always extra busy during the Christmas season and she likes to take him meals at the station and spoil the deputies who have to work so hard during the holidays.

Sighing she turns her thoughts to Logan and their talk last night. She had left Marie's house upset and discouraged only to find her frustrating ex-boyfriend sitting waiting for her; waiting for her with ice cream. He looked at her with his warm, brown eyes and she just wanted to climb into his arms and stay there.

He is a good looking guy who hides behind the public image of being the spoiled, rich son of two movie stars. Dating him she learned that he is so much more than his public persona. He is spoiled and rich but underneath the handsome, perfect exterior is a caring, loving, thoughtful, sweet, wonderful guy. The biggest surprise she had dating him was how much he soaks up the love and attention she gave him. He was so insecure about deserving her love. Now that she knows about his abuse, she can see why he acts like he does. He has never had unconditional love and she feels very badly for him about that. Every child needs to have a parent or parents who put him or her first. Logan has never had that.

Despite her grandfather's belief that Lynn is just as much of a victim as Logan, Veronica has some anger towards her. She is an adult with more options than Logan who doesn't feel he has any other choices. Her grandfather has lots of experience with domestic abuse and he did make her accept that Lynn Echolls feels powerless and needs just as much help as Logan does. The truth is Veronica does like her and hopes her grandfather can find a way to help Lynn as well.

Veronica has never been impressed with Lilly Kane but now she sees her as abusive. If Veronica was jealous of, or disliked Lilly Kane before when she just thought she was a spoiled, rich, vivacious girl who is dating the hottest guy in the school, she doubly hates her now. When she asked him, Logan admitted that Lilly, Duncan and Meg all know about his home situation. Veronica cannot fathom how Lilly knows what Logan's home life is like and she just adds to his pain by treating him like he doesn't matter, fooling around on him and humiliating him in front of his friends and the school.

Yes, she is jealous of Lilly and yes, she is really hurting but she has come to accept that she can't change what is. She let herself live the dream for a while, let herself believe that Logan could love her and now she is paying the price. Her dream has come crashing down and her heart is broken into so many pieces that she is not sure that when it is put back together it will ever be the same.

The ironic thing is she knew this was going to happen. Actually everyone probably predicated this was going to happen. In the beginning when Logan started seeking her out, her head knew that dating Logan was a mistake and that he could never really love her like he loves Lilly but her treacherous heart wanted the dream and convinced her to go all in. Sometimes though you don't have the winning hand and you have to quit betting, walk away and accept your losses.

Now she has to face that walking away and accepting the loss is easier said than done. This break up with Logan is different than her break ups with Josh and Victor. She was stupid enough to think of a future with Logan. There wasn't a finite time when he would be leaving. They could date this year and next year; they could go to college together. Deep inside, she had begun to dream about their life together. Even now she wants to roll her eyes at how naive she was.

Truthfully Veronica is a little scared. For the first time in her young life, she feels fragile; like the china cups in her mother's tea set. They are functional but the walls are very thin. They are not strong enough to withstand a drop or a mishandling. Lately she feels like her walls have become thin and weak. On the outside the shell is intact; she is handling her busy life and moving on. The reality is she is not sure that just keeping busy is going to work this time. She is clinging to the hope that now that school is out for the semester, she won't see him, won't hear about him and finally she will have the peace she needs to get over loving him. Right now she is counting the days until she flies to Seattle. Being away and with her grandfather might be just what she needs right now.

By the time next semester starts everyone will have other things to talk about. She will have time to rest, to build up her strength, to heal before she has to face the masses. Hopefully she will be yesterday's news. Hurricane Lilly/Logan has swept through and she just has to pick up the damage and rebuild. She just needs time. Maybe in a few weeks, she won't feel shaky inside. If she is really lucky, there won't be any cracks.

Clearly she still has a long way to go. Last night when Logan told her he was through with Lilly for good and he was sure about his feelings for her, a part of her just wanted to fall into Logan. A part of her wanted to reach over, wrap her arms around him and pull him close. She wanted nothing more than to feel his arms around her and lift her face for his kiss. It is not surprising to her that she misses his touch and his wonderful kisses. She is only human and really is there a woman on the planet who isn't susceptible to his obvious gifts?

The conversation with Logan last night did open her eyes to something she had not realized before. She'd always wondered why Logan didn't just turn away from Lilly; why he gave Lilly opportunity after opportunity to crush his heart and humiliate him. Yesterday, she finally understood why Logan always took Lilly back.

Although she does understand how tempting it is to take the person you love back, she is not going to make that mistake. She is going to face the pain now and save herself heartbreak later. When the break is over, she will be able to handle being on the sidelines of the Logan/Lilly show. She should have listened to her head and avoided all the heartache. Lesson learned.

Despite her belief in her decision, she keeps thinking about the look of pain on his face when she told him that she finally understood why he kept taking Lilly back; she finally understood how much he loved Lilly. He had tried to assure her that he doesn't love Lilly anymore but she had not been able to trust his words. After a circular discussion she finally had enough and told him, "I'm sorry but I just can't jump back into our relationship. I can't believe in us anymore. I just want to be away and get over you."

Instead of accepting that she has made up her mind, the boy she is having so many thoughts about pulled her into his arms and firmly told her that he wasn't going to get over her any time soon and he didn't believe she would get over him easily. Exhausted and in pain, she had tried to control the emotions that being with him brought to the surface. She didn't need him to see how upset she was but being in his arms cut through her defenses. Quietly she begged, "Please Logan, just let me be; it's too hard to see you."

He had taken her face in his hands and looked at her with his beautiful and expressive brown eyes. Emotional himself, he told her, "I can't let you go Veronica. I can't give up on us." Then he did the most unfair thing; he kissed her.

Her attention is drawn to Erica dramatically dropping her packages on a chair and plopping herself down in the chair across from where she was sitting lost in thought. The exhausted and frustrated red head laments, "Why do I always leave my shopping to the last minute?" She hangs her purse off the back of the chair and vows, "Next year I am going to shop on line like Mac."

Laughing Veronica taps her chin and points out, "I think you said that last year."

Amused at her friend's antics, Erica makes a face at her but agrees, "I know. I'll probably be saying it next year as well."

Curious Veronica asks, "Did you get everything on your list?"

Nodding happily, Erica answers, "I think so." She reaches down and finds the bag she is looking for, "Look at the cute charm I found for Mac for the bracelet her parents bought her last year." Reaching in the bag she pulls out a small square box and hands it across the table to her friend.

Interested Veronica reaches over and takes the small box from her friend. She opens the box and looks inside at the silver computer keyboard charm. "Oh my god!" she exclaims, "It's perfect!" She lifts the charm out and looks at it from all angles. She loves how the keys seem to be carved in and there is even a number pad on the side.

Pleased that her friend likes the gift as well, Erica says, "I think she will like it."

"She'll love it!" Veronica enthuses as she puts the charm away. Handing the box back to Erica she questions, "Did you find the game your brother wanted?"

Obviously relieved she complains to her friend, "I had to look in like ten stores, but I found it." Erica looks at her friend whose attention is on the woman at the next table who is trying to pacify the angry toddler. She notes her friend's defeated posture and the discouraged look on her heart shaped face. Nodding towards Veronica's parcels she asks, "Did you find the matching pajamas for Cynthia and Marie?"

A small satisfied smile goes over Veronica's face as she opens the bag and shows Erica the pink satin pajamas she found. Digging to the bottom of the bag she adds, "I found matching slippers as well" holding up the pink ballet type slippers to her friend.

Pleased that Veronica has that worry off her mind, Erica reaches over to touch the smooth satin and says gently, "They will love them."

Sighing Veronica puts the gifts back into the bag and places the bag at her feet. Reaching up she lifts her drink taking a sip as she looks around the food court.

Erica has been Veronica's friend for years and is saddened by her down mood this Christmas. Normally Veronica is a fountain of good cheer and exuberance during this time of year. Although she knows that her sweet friend is really worried about Marie, she also knows that she is really hurting over the break up of her relationship with Logan Echolls.

The amazing thing about Veronica is how strong she is. When Jake and then Victor left, she didn't ask for sympathy. She knew what she was getting into and she just took the pain of them leaving. Erica loves Veronica like a sister and she can see that this breakup is different for Veronica. She is still not asking for sympathy but this time she acts like she deserves what she got by letting herself get in so deep with a guy who has a history of going back to his long term relationship. Erica is impressed with how stoic her friend has been; how she has kept her head up throughout the very public humiliation she suffered.

Over the years the three musketeers have had a few ice cream nights providing support and love to whichever girl was upset. It is interesting how differently the three of them react to their disappointments in life. Erica knows she gets mad at whoever upset her and uses that anger to help her through the situation. Mac internalizes her pain deciding that something is wrong with her and tries to identify what she did to deserve what happened to her. Veronica gives herself a few days to cry and mourn and then she picks herself up and moves on. On the face of it, Logan's betrayal is no exception. Veronica seems to be getting on with her life; keeping busy and looking to anyone who is watching like she is fine. This time though, Erica and Mac both can see that Veronica is not fine; she is deeply unhappy.

Today Erica can see that Veronica is really out of sorts. The stubborn blond is not sure how to cope with Logan's steadfast belief that they belong together. Erica was surprised to hear that Logan will not accept that his relationship with Veronica is not over. Since their breakup, Veronica has hung onto the belief that with time she can get over her heartbreak; Erica is not so sure. When she initially heard that Logan wasn't sure anymore and needed time to think about what he really wanted, Erica had been indignant and angry for her friend. She wished that Veronica told Logan off; Veronica was too smart, too strong to be taken in twice by a handsome face. However there is another part of her that remembers how happy and how different Logan seemed to be around Veronica. Veronica is a special person. Jake and Victor both fell head over heels in love with her. They both had dated lots of girls before but once they started dating Veronica, they both just wanted to be with her. There is something about the tiny blond that just draws you in and makes you love her. It isn't out of the realm of possibility that Logan Echolls is in love with Veronica Mars. Now he has told Veronica that he won't let their relationship go and he will fight for her and Erica has to admit that a small part of her is cheering Logan on.

"Veronica," she tentatively starts and then slowly continues when she has her friend's undivided attention, "Do you remember when my parents separated when we were elementary school?"

Her friend's face scrunches in thought and she finally answers, "I think so." After a few moments she adds her voice unsure, "I remember we were in Parkview School so it had to be before we were grade two."

Nodding Erica leans closer and confirms, "It was Grade 2. I don't remember much about it. Mostly that my dad left and my mom cried a lot."

Veronica looks at her friend wondering why she is bringing up that time now. Erica continues, "Did I tell you my mom talked to me about it this summer when we were at the cabin?"

"Really?" Veronica questions. Erica's parents are very quiet and standoffish type of people. Veronica has known Erica most of her life and has spent many a nights at her home over the years. She can't remember ever having a personal conversation with either of her parents. Her friend has often commented that her parents still treat her like she is five year old. They don't talk to her; they just tell her what to do.

Erica half smiles at Veronica's surprise and shares, "Yeah it shocked the heck out of me too."

The petit blond returns her half smile and leans forward herself as she asks, "What did she say?"

Getting ready to tell her story to her friend, Erica leans her forearms on the table and talks about how she has always been curious about that time so when her mother seemed open to talking about it, she took the opportunity to find out more about what happened. She talks about how she asked her mother if her father fooled around on her.

Erica has to smirk as Veronica's eyes widen and her mouth drops open. Giggling she continues to talk about how her mother told her that her father had not been with another woman but he said he wasn't sure anymore if he wanted to be married to her.

The teen fiddles with the straw on her drink as she thinks about how to word what her mother told her. Veronica watches her friend as she thinks about what Erica is saying.

Finally Veronica whispers, "What do you think about that?"

Shrugging Erica looks at Veronica and admits, "At first I was really mad at my dad." Putting her hands up she makes quotation marks around the word 'sure' as she adds, "He wasn't 'sure' he wanted to be married or be around for me and Able."

Erica looks at her friend and sees the understanding and the sympathy. She smiles a little because she knows Veronica cares and she does understand what it is like to have a parent leave. Meeting Veronica's gaze she shares, "I asked mom how she could take him back."

Interested Veronica asks, "What did she say?"

"She said it was the best decision she ever made," Erica pronounces. She has to laugh at the look of almost disbelief on her friend's face. She explains how her mother told her that although she was hurt and she didn't understand how he could want to leave her, she also understood that he didn't fool around her; he was open with her about his feelings.

Erica points out, "V, mom and dad have been back together for like nine years. It will be their 20th anniversary this year." She looks meaningfully at her friend.

Veronica's forehead creases in confusion. She thinks about Erica's story. Finally she looks at Erica and asks, "Are you trying to tell me that I should give Logan another chance?"

A huge smile flashes over Erica's pretty face as she says, "I'm just saying that my dad made a mistake. He didn't break his vows; he just needed time to think about what was important. He hurt mom and us but he has more than made up for it since then." Her dimple becomes more pronounced as she adds, "If you apply that to your situation with Logan, well that is your business."

Laughing Veronica reaches over and pushes on Erica's arm. She says, "Thank you Master."

Joining her friend in laughter, Erica returns, "You are welcome my student."

Sobering up Veronica gazes at her friend with affection. She takes a deep breath and lets it out before she says, "I'll think about what you told me."

Erica smiles at her friend and says, "Good. Now let's stop at the candy shop on our way out. I want to get a few stocking stuffers."

_Across the Country_

Logan sits reclined in his comfortable chair on the plane with his head phones in pretending to be asleep. He is upset that he has to be away from Neptune and Veronica. At least his dad chartered a private jet for the trip overseas.

His short relationship with Veronica has made him think about his relationship with Lilly and his parent's relationship. Ironically he really understands Veronica's dilemma. He remembers how upset and humiliated he was when he first found out Lilly fooled around on him. Initially he was hurt and angry but he told himself that she was very sorry about what he had done, that she was right and they were young, that she was so very beautiful so she had a lot of offers. In other words he made excuses for her. The sad but undeniable truth is that he kept taking Lilly back after she lied, cheated and humiliated him. He thought he loved her and that having that love was worth everything.

Apparently the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. He thinks about how his mother believed his father when he said he wouldn't fool around on her anymore and he kept on breaking their vows. Worse, his mother time and time had accepted his father's empty promises that he wouldn't hit Logan anymore. Now she is emotionally and physically defeated and turns a blind eye to everything his father does.

Lately Logan has come to see that he is the worst of both his parents. He is as weak and beat down as his mother. He accepts the lies and humiliation for the few crumbs that Lilly is willing to toss his way. Worse he is an idiot like his father who had a beautiful woman who loved him, was faithful and cared about his well being and he didn't appreciate it. Both of them should have worshipped the woman who loved them. Although he isn't an adulterer like his father, he hurt his woman by being tempted by a girl who had a long history of mistreating him. There was something seriously wrong with him.

Last night he had poured his heart out to Veronica. She had listened but he immediately could see that she was not in the forgiving frame of mind despite the holiday season. He can understand why she doesn't trust him anymore but he really wants another chance with her. He knows they will be good together.

They only dated a short time so he can understand that Veronica doesn't know how stubborn he can be. He isn't going to give them up easily. He is going to take every chance to get her to see that they are good together; to get her to give him another chance.

This morning while waiting for the airplane to get clearance, he watched her photography video again. Amazingly it has over 50,000 hits already. He showed it to his mother and she was so impressed that she emailed the video to a few of her friends in the television and print news. She telephoned her close friend who has an entertainment show and told him about the video and Veronica. Then she told him about Marie and the fund to help her pay for her medical expenses. Logan really hoped that one of them picked up the story. Maybe donations would increase to Marie's fund and the hospital.

_Back in Neptune _

Veronica sits in the chair in Marie's room and they are both watching a movie. Marie looks over at Veronica and pauses the movie. Her unofficial big sister looks at her and questions, "Do you need something?" Veronica looks at the young girl and notes her sunken eyes with their dark circles, the paleness of her skin and how thin she has become.

Marie shakes her head and says, "Can we talk instead?"

Immediately Veronica agrees and asks, "Is there something specific you wanted to talk about?"

Nodding Marie pats the bed beside her and waits while Veronica gets on the bed and lies beside her. They turn to face each other. It is Marie's preferred way to talk with Veronica. It feels more intimate to her; she feels like what they talk about is secret.

Marie starts, "V, I am worried about Mom."

The older teen is surprised at the conversation but she can see that Marie really wants to talk so she asks, "What about her?"

_After Christmas_

Unsure what she should do Veronica sits and look at her phone. The photography video she and Marie made has been featured on a national entertainment show thanks to Lynn Echolls who called a close friend and talked to him about Marie, her cancer and the fund set up to help pay for Marie's expenses. Lynn's friend immediately sent a reporter to Neptune to interview Marie, Cynthia and Derek. Since the segment including Marie aired, the donations have poured in from concerned and caring people all over the United States. Veronica could not be more touched. She called Lynn to thank her and Lynn quickly dismissed her thanks telling her that she really liked meeting Cynthia and Marie and she was really hoping that Marie starts to respond to the medications. She also pointed out that Logan was the one who started the ball rolling by showing her the video.

Now Veronica knows she should phone and thank Logan but she is really reluctant to talk to him right now. Finally she takes a deep breath and depresses the button to call him.

When Logan answers his voice is sleepy. Appalled that she has woken him up she asks, "What time is it there?"

"Around midnight," he answers as he looks at the clock in his room.

Sheepishly she apologizes for calling him so late and he shrugs off her apology and asks about her Christmas. She tells him about spending the day at the Sheriff's Department. Politely she asks him about his Christmas.

He tells her about what he has been doing on his vacation and then asks, "When are you going to Seattle?"

She tells him she has an early morning flight and will be in Seattle to eat lunch with her Grandfather.

He smiles at how excited she sounds to see her family. Wistfully he says, "I wish I was going with you."

Laughing she teases, "Yeah, that sounds sincere. Who would rather visit Seattle than Milan?"

Logan sighs a little and admits, "It is really beautiful here but I wish you were here with me."

"I am sure there are lots of beautiful girls there to keep your attention," she points out.

He agrees, "There are." There is a short pause and he continues, "But they are not you."

A little disconcerted she deflects, "Logan, we aren't together anymore."

Immediately he chimes in, "I really want to be Veronica."

She realizes that this conversation has gotten miles off course and she says, "I called to thank you for showing the video to your mom. Once the segment about Marie's condition aired, donations started pouring in. It has really made a difference."

He brushes off her thanks and says, "I am really glad that my mom could help." He adds quickly, "Look I really want to talk more about us but it might be better when I get back to Neptune. Right now I really want to hear about how Marie is doing."

She can tell Logan is genuinely concerned and she really needs to talk to someone about her feelings and concerns about Marie. She can't disguise the worry in her voice as she talks about Marie's lab results and what the doctor has said. Veronica chokes up as she tells him about how Cynthia is really worried and her family is trying to support her. She pauses and then confides, "Marie is worried about her mom." She goes on to share how Marie talked to her about what would happen to her family if she doesn't get better. She talks about how Marie thinks that her dad is busy at work and has lots of guys there who will support him but her mom will be alone if she dies.

The young 09er is blown away by Veronica's story about her talk with Marie. He finally says, "What on earth did you say when she told you that?"

Sniffling she tells him, "I didn't know what to say. She wants me to promise to help her mom if she dies but I don't know what I could do."

Logan thinks aloud, "Have you talked to your Dad about what Marie said?"

She sighs a little and tells him, "He is so busy at work right now. I will talk to Grandpa when I see him." She hasn't had to deal with death and watching Marie battle the aggressive cancer is wearing on her. She wants to be strong for Marie but she is really not sure what to say or do. She is really scared about what is going to happen.

Thinking about the whole situation, he comments quietly, "I don't know how a parent ever gets over losing a child."

"I've only known her a few months and I can't imagine not seeing her," she sobs. "It's not fair. She is only ten."

He can hear her crying and he wishes he was there to support her. He soothes, "I wish I was there to hold you right now."

Touched she quietly says, "Me too."

Worried he encourages, "Just tell me what you are thinking. I know this has been hard on you too."

Crying she tells him her fears, worries and how much it hurts to see Marie suffering. Logan listens and makes encouraging and sympathetic comments to show he is listening.

Once the ice is broken between the once close couple, the conversation flows easily. Veronica talks about how she couldn't enjoy Christmas this year; how things have changed for her. Logan talks about watching his father find other women and how his mother has not relaxed this vacation; in fact, she is drinking even more.

Before she knows it, she has been talking to Logan for a few hours. Concerned she says, "Oh my god, it's already three o'clock there. I should let you go."

"Veronica, I love to talk to you. I just wish I could do more to help you with all you are going through," he easily tells her.

There is a comfortable pause in the conversations and Veronica finally says, "I should go. I have to cook supper and do laundry before I leave tomorrow."

He is happy he was able to be there for her. He says, "I'll call you next week and you can tell me how your visit to Seattle is going and update me on what is going with Marie."

She agrees and says quietly, "Thanks for listening."

"No problem," he reassures her. "Please call me anytime you need to talk." Quietly and sincerely he signs off with, "Happy New Year."

She returns before she hangs up, "Happy New Year, Logan."


	23. Chapter 23

_Story so Far: AU. Veronica is not part of the Fab 4. Logan and Lilly are on an off period when Logan starts dating Veronica Mars. At first they just agree to date until he goes back to Lilly but before they know it a few months has gone by and Logan really likes his relationship with Veronica. He decides not to go back to Lilly and give his relationship with Veronica a real chance. Lilly talks to Logan and tells him she wants him back and is willing to be with just him; no other guys. Logan is torn. He tells Veronica he needs time to sort out his thoughts as he has feelings for both her and Lilly. Veronica is not receptive and tells Logan they are done. A conversation with his mother helps Logan realize it is really Veronica he wants and needs. Unfortunately she is set of getting over him. In the meantime Veronica's little sister by choice is very sick and Veronica is worried about her. Logan has to go overseas for the Christmas vacation and can't see Veronica. He is really worried that she will get over him._

Veronica enters the small but well kept house with trepidation. She is happy to be back in Neptune and really wants to see Marie but a part of her is afraid of what she is going to see. She has only been gone a week but the news when she called to talk to Cynthia has not been good. Marie is not well enough for another dose of the new chemotherapy. Her blood results are worse instead of better.

The worried teenager feels selfish about it but she really needed her vacation to Seattle. She understands how lucky she is to be healthy and have a loving family but these past couple of weeks have been stressful. Between finding out Marie has come out of remission, the worry of final exams, volunteering at the fire department, getting ready for Christmas and then Logan deciding he wasn't sure about loving her anymore, Veronica has felt overwhelmed. Getting away for the week was just what she needed and of course, seeing her beloved grandfather was absolutely wonderful. She loves him so much and every time she sees him or talks to him, she feels better for it. He took the whole week off work and just spent time with her. They visited the rest of the family, the zoo which had been her favorite place when she was younger, the precinct where her grandfather and father worked and even went up to Canada for a couple of days. Even if they didn't do anything, just visiting with her grandfather would have been enough. He always makes time to talk to her and she values their relationship.

When she enters the kitchen, she sees Cynthia making lunch. An immediate smile crosses the stressed mother's face when she sees Veronica enter the room. She puts down the spoon she was using to stir the soup and walks around the counter to hug the petit blond. As she holds the young teen to her she asks, "How was your trip to Seattle?"

Veronica hugs Cynthia back and answers easily, "It was great to see my Grandfather. He took the whole week off to spend time with me."

Smiling as she pulls away and looks at Veronica, Cynthia comments happily, "That is great! Have you had lunch?"

Shaking her head Veronica answers, "I came straight from dropping my luggage at home."

Touched Cynthia fusses, "Then sit and tell me all about your trip while I finish making lunch. Marie is asleep. We'll wake her up after we eat."

Nodding her agreement as she sits on a stool at the island across from where Cynthia has the fixings for sandwiches, Veronica asks, "How is she today?"

Cynthia pauses as she stirs the soup, "The same." She begins to stir the soup again as she continues, "So tell me about your trip."

She listens as Veronica talks about seeing her relatives and her grandfather taking her to Canada for couple of days. Cynthia takes a deep breath and lets it out relaxing as she listens to Veronica's stories about her trip. After she put the soup to simmer, she turns to the island to make sandwiches while she looks at the pictures Veronica took on her cell phone.

Just having Veronica in the house is a huge lift in spirit for Cynthia. It seems like every moment is filled with mind numbing, bone weary worry for her. She tried to make Christmas and New Year's full of happy memories for Marie but each time she looks at her young daughter, she feels a pain in her chest at how frail and sick she looks. She is trying to keep a positive attitude but the stress of the season along with the unrelenting battle with the cancer is wearing on her. Her mother and sister came and helped her for the holidays but Veronica's presence is easier for her. Veronica seems to bring so much life and love with her. The truth is Veronica doesn't expect any certain behavior from her. She is as upset, scared and worried as Cynthia and she is not expecting Cynthia to have the answers. She is like a friend going through it with her.

After they have lunch and finish catching up on each other's news, Veronica goes in to wake Marie and see if she can convince her to eat some lunch.

Cynthia cleans up and then goes to her room to take a nap. Veronica will take care of Marie for a few hours. Marie has been sick during the night the last few days. The lack of sleep is catching up with Cynthia.

Marie is happy to see her big sister and does eat a little lunch while they talk. Veronica tells her about Seattle and her grandfather while Marie talks about the New Year's Eve countdown and party.

After lunch is cleared away, Marie smiles as she admires the bracelet Veronica brought her from Seattle. It is silver and has a charm of the Space Needle. While Marie relaxed on her bed, Veronica read her a few chapters of the book they are reading together. Each week Veronica and Marie read a mystery book together. They both like trying to solve who did it. After reading, Marie remembered that she had some pictures of New Year's Eve to show Veronica.

"Veronica," Marie starts as she looks at her sister by choice, "Can I ask you something?"

Turning her attention from her perusal of the pictures Marie was showing her from the New Year's Eve party, Veronica looks at the tiny girl in inquiry.

Turning a little pink with her question she asks, "What is like to kiss a boy?"

Veronica she flounders to think of a way to answer Marie's question while she puts away the pictures she was looking at. Finally she answers, "Kissing a boy is nice but kissing the right boy is really wonderful."

Smiling a little Marie asks, "What was kissing Logan like?"

Unsure where her young friend is heading with her questions, Veronica checks, "Why are you asking?"

Shrugging she looks away from where Veronica is sitting and says, "It doesn't matter."

Veronica gets up and sits on the edge of the bed putting her hand on Marie's shoulder. "I don't mind talking about it but I haven's kissed very many boys so I don't know a lot about it."

Marie's eyes skid back to Veronica and she listens obviously interested. After a short pause she asks, "How old were you when you had your first kiss."

Veronica turns so she is facing Marie and crosses her legs. She leans in a little and smiles as she confides, "In Grade 1, David Brown ran up to me after school and kissed me."

Giggling Marie exclaims, "Really?"

Nodding as she giggles herself Veronica adds, "I pretended to be mad but I was secretly a little thrilled. He was cute."

Carrying on with their discussion Veronica talks about kissing boys in party games like Spin the Bottle and Seven Minutes in Heaven. She looks at Marie and sees she is interested in their discussion so she carries on, "My first real serious boyfriend was Josh Britton."

Cuddling back against the pillows Marie says, "I saw him play a few times. Dad is a huge football fan." She makes a kissy face at Veronica and teases, "He is so hot." She laughs at the look of surprise on Veronica's face.

The petit blond has to smile at Marie's cute way of talking about Josh. Veronica grins back and agrees, "He is hot!

Marie meets Veronica's eyes and asks eagerly, "How did you meet him?"

Leaning forward she takes Marie's hands in hers and examines the nails. Leaning over the side of the bed she grabs her messenger bag and digs though it. Finding her nail kit she exclaims happily as she pulls it out and brings it to her lap to open it. She takes one of Marie's hands and starts to file the nails. She says, "Well I just started my freshman year at Neptune High. Everyone knew who Josh was. He was a senior, the quarterback of the football team, pitcher on the baseball team and destined to go to college on an athletic scholarship."

A little sarcastically she adds, "Everyone knows that seniors like Josh can date any girl they want and why would they even look at a lowly freshman?"

Engrossed in the story Marie interjects, "But he wanted you, right?"

Laughing Veronica continues to work on Marie's nails as she tells the story. She tarts, "I was walking out of English class. It is in the hall right before the athletic area. Josh was walking towards the locker room with a bunch of his football friends and he threw a water bottle down the hall for one of his friends to catch. His friend wasn't watching where he was going and he ran into me pretty hard knocking me down."

Marie's eyes open wide in surprise. Veronica looks up at her and adds, "I dropped my books and my purse spilled everywhere." Veronica continues, "The guy who knocked me down just caught the water bottle and did a dance like he was in the end zone celebrating a touchdown. A lot of the students were laughing but Josh came over immediately to help me up."

Marie swooned a little, "That is so romantic."

"Hardly," Veronica tells her. She examines Marie's nails carefully as she talks, "I was stunned and when I got over my shock, I was really mad."

Entertained by the story Marie asks, "Mad?"

Veronica explains how she was angry because the guys except for Josh didn't even stop to help her. She says, "Cory, the guy who knocked me down, actually yelled for Josh to hurry up or they would be late for their workout."

Veronica takes Marie's other hand and starts to work on those nails as she continues the story. She looks at Marie and adds, "Josh was concerned that I was hurt and when he realized I was OK, he helped me pick up my books and all the stuff in my purse. I could tell he was embarrassed at how his friends acted. He was actually pretty sweet."

"Did he ask you out then?" Marie questions.

Smiling at her naive way, Veronica says, "No, he did ask my name and apologized for his friends. Then he ran off after them."

Continuing her story Veronica talks about how she saw how the football players acted like they owned the school. They cut in lines, made kids move if they wanted their seats in the Quad or auditorium. They teased and tormented other kids." She tells Marie how she heard about how a lot of girls wanted to date Josh because he was handsome and a football star. Josh dated a lot of different girls."

"So how did you and Josh start dating?" she asks a little impatiently.

Smirking at her Veronica tells her about wearing her gym uniform to lunch because she had to quickly eat and then run a few miles right after lunch for her soccer coach. She explains that she was walking with the soccer girls towards the cafeteria when she saw Cory running towards the door from inside the lunch room. He was racing another football player. She giggles and then tells Marie how she put her foot up to the door holding the door closed so when Cory ran full out at the door expecting it to open, it didn't and he hit it really hard face first.

Marie has to giggle as well. She can just imagine Veronica teaching that rude boy a lesson. "Was Cory mad?"

"No," Veronica explains, "I pretended I didn't know what happened but Josh was standing behind me and saw the whole thing?"

Now laughing Veronica tells her that Josh didn't rat her out. In fact he asked her out. Carrying on with the story, she tells Marie how she didn't agree to date him at first because he just dated girls to have sex with them and then he moved on to someone else.

Marie is amazed and says, "Well he must have won you over."

Veronica gets a girly look on her face and she agrees, "He did." Satisfied that her nails are trimmed properly, Veronica reaches in her kit and gets the buffering tool out.

She looks at Marie and gets back to the original topic of this conversation, "Kissing guys is nice but kissing guys you like is better. I felt more kissing Josh because I knew he cared about me."

Marie is obviously enjoying the talk, "Were you sad when he left?"

Immediately nodding, the older teen tells Marie she cried a lot and it took time but now she looks back on the time she spent with Josh and remembers mostly the good memories. Veronica adds, "My girl friends and ice cream helped me through it."

Laughing Marie comments, "You love your ice cream."

Veronica agrees her voice dreamy, "It is so creamy good."

There is a few minutes of comfortable silence as Veronica continues to work on Marie's nails. Finally Marie asks, "Are you feeling better about your break up with Logan now?"

Veronica although surprised by the question looks at Marie and answers honestly, "Well I don't feel like crying all the time but I am still sad."

"I'm sorry," the young girl says, her voice full of sympathy.

Touched Veronica reaches up and gently caresses her cheek. She says, "It really helps to have friends who care about me."

Cynthia standing in the doorway watches with tears in her eyes as her daughter reaches over and hugs Veronica saying, "I love you."

The teen immediately hugs her back chocking out, "I love you too kiddo."

The relationship between Marie and Veronica is really close now. Veronica has been faithful about visiting and she has become a part of the family. Cynthia and Derek are thankful that Veronica has taken an interest in Marie. She has been a huge source of support for them all.

Even though she is busy caring for Marie, Cynthia can see that Veronica has been hurting since her break up with Logan. The sweet teen has not mentioned her upset but Cynthia can see she is unhappy.

Cynthia is brought back by Veronica's voice asking Marie what color of nail polish she would like. Smiling Cynthia joins in asking, "Why don't we try one of the new colors I got for Christmas?"

The two girls look at her and smile. Cynthia says, "I'll just go and get them." When she arrives back with the box of nail polish, the three girls pick a color to try.

Veronica, as she paints Marie's nails, asks, "Cindy, who was your first kiss?" The two young girls are surprised when she giggles and then answers, "Adam Redding."

They both look at her ready to hear her story.

Hours later Veronica is finally unpacking her suitcase in her room. Mac and Erica have left. Although the teen was excited to see her friends and hear about their holidays, she is tired from her flight and frankly emotionally exhausted from her afternoon with Marie and Cynthia. Marie looks so incredibly weak. For the first time Veronica has to face that her little sister may lose the battle.

A knock on her bedroom door brings her out of her thoughts. Her father sticks his head in and says, "You have another visitor."

The teen looks at her father in question and is surprised when he steps aside and reveals Logan standing there.

"Hey," the obviously uncomfortable 09er says. Although he was a fixture at their place when they were dating, he has not been there since they broke up.

Veronica rouses herself and comments, "I thought you weren't coming home until the weekend?"

He steps into the room as he answers, "Yeah, well my parents decided to go back to LA early. They are going to be busy with parties and functions so I decided to come home."

Unsure what to say she slowly says, "How was the rest of your trip?" She catches Logan's small smirk when her father pointedly leaves the door to her room open and tells her he will be in the kitchen.

Walking the rest of the way into her room to stand in front of her he says, "The weather was great but the tension between my parents was getting bad."

Concerned she asks, "Did he?"

Immediately shaking his head Logan says, "No, I avoided him most of the time and he was out a lot."

Relieved she turns back to her unpacking and asks, "What are you doing here?"

Stepping closer Logan softens his voice and answers, "I wanted to see you of course and I wanted to find out how Marie is."

A little put out by his presence and feeling very emotional after her afternoon with Marie, she looks down at her hands and bites her lip.

Concerned Logan puts his hands on her shoulders and turns her to face him. He bends his head to see her expression better and asks, "How is Marie doing?"

Tears immediately spring to her eyes and she admits, "She looks even worse than I imagined."

Logan sits on the edge of her bed and pulls her to sit beside him. He looks at her and commands, "Tell me everything."

Veronica meets his gaze and sees he is genuinely worried. She takes a deep breath and talks about having lunch with Cynthia and how exhausted she looks. Then she talks about how Marie is almost too weak to get out of bed and how she has lost more weight. Finally she admits, "I am so scared she is not going to make it."

Logan wraps her in his arms and holds her rubbing her back soothingly as she cries. He says, "Oh my god, that is awful! Isn't there something more they can do to help her?"

Shaking her head she chokes out, "Cindy says they are doing everything medically possible. It is a really bad cancer."

He wraps his arms even tighter around her as she cries. He thinks about how Marie is so young and has so much ahead of her. It just doesn't seem possible that she could die yet it is sounding like the cancer is not responding to the chemotherapy.

After a few minutes, Veronica looks up at Logan and bites her lip trying to think about how to word her concern. Finally she says, "I am grateful that you are here for me but…"

He sees the worry on her face and immediately rushes to reassure her, "I get you are not sure about us. That isn't what this is about. I know you love Marie and you are hurting that she is so sick." He pauses and then admits, "You have a lot of people you can turn to for support but I care about you and I just want to be here for you."

Meeting his gaze she can really see he is being honest and sincere. Her gaze softens and she quietly says, "Thank you."

Encouraged, he wraps both his arms back around her and holds her close. He tells her quietly, "I will be here for you no matter what."

With her head on his chest and her body close to his, the upset teen feels his support and she really appreciates it. She knows he is worried about Marie as well and he is trying to be there for her. Right now she just feels very unsettled about what is going to happen with Marie. The truth is, she is really scared and right now she needs all the support she can get.

For the next few minutes she wraps her arms around Logan and lets him comfort her. He is warm and she feels like she is able to just relax for a few minutes. It is something she really needs. She won't admit this out loud but being hugged by Logan might be better than ice cream.

After Logan leaves, Keith goes into Veronica's room and gets her empty suitcase, putting it up on the top shelf of her closet. He looks over at his daughter and sees her worry and upset. Quietly he says, "I saw Derek today when I went over to give some reports to the Chief."

His beautiful, caring daughter immediately looks at him concerned about how Derek is coping with Marie's illness.

"He's really afraid but trying to be strong for Cindy and Marie," Keith shares. When he meets her gaze he says, "The news from her doctors is not good."

Nodding Veronica bites her lip blinking as the tears immediately well up. Keith says, "I bought some strawberry cheesecake ice cream today. What do you say we break it out?"

Trying to smile she volleys back, "Did you remember to get whipped cream?"

Laughing a little he nods and teases, "And chocolate syrup."

Smiling at her father she sighs, "That sounds perfect."

He wraps his arm around her as they walk towards the kitchen together. Hugging his beloved child to him, he thinks a little about how lucky he is she is so loving, so beautiful and so healthy. He tells her, "I want to hear all about your trip."

Giggling a little she meaningfully says, "Oh, Joanna Green says hello."

Keith grimaces as he thinks about his father's neighbor who is now, as his father keeps pointing out, divorced. Apparently she has kept herself up and would be a good mother to Veronica.

_The next day _

Logan telephones Veronica after surfing with the guys and asks how she is feeling. He is pleased how she now immediately answers his calls. He asks her about her morning and tells her about how great the surf was this morning. In a break in the conversation he casually mentions, "By the way Mrs. Navarro came over today and she is cooking."

She sucks her breath in and asks, "Tamales?"

Laughing Logan answers, "Yes and I asked her to make some for Derek, Cynthia and Marie."

Touched Veronica is quiet for a few seconds and then tells him, "That is really nice of you."

She has to smile when she hears the embarrassment in his voice, "Yeah, well I know that Marie is like you and loves them." Trying to get control of the conversation, Logan continues, "Anyways, I arranged for our driver to drop them off at Marie's later."

"Thank you," she chokes out. Sometimes Logan can be such a woobie and each time it disarms her.

He clears his throat and asks, "What are you doing tonight?"

"I am not sure," she shares, "Erica and Mac want to do something later."

Pausing he says, "I may have a good suggestion." When Veronica is quiet he continues, "Dick is having a party tonight." Before Veronica can comment he carries on, "A lot of the 09ers are still not back in town so those of us that are were thinking we would barbecue, lounge around the pool, play some video games, watch some movies, dance and generally hang out."

Unsure about seeing Logan tonight, Veronica tells him, "I'll ask Mac and Erica."

"Veronica," he tells her quietly, "it will be fun. There will be good food, good booze, good music and good company. What is not to like?"

She does know that the 09ers throw excellent parties. With their unlimited funds, they always have a lot of good food and booze. She takes a deep breath and shares, "I am not sure it is a good idea for you and me to be at a party together."

Pausing he gathers his thoughts and then ventures, "Look, I know things aren't good between us right now. I know that is my fault. If I could turn back time, I really don't know what I would have done differently. If I waited to date you until I knew I was over Lilly then I may not have ever dated you. You may have found someone else in the meantime and I would have continued to date interim girls. I never would have learned what a real and healthy relationship is. I may have stayed Lilly's lap dog and not realized that there is more out there even for guys like me."

Veronica is really taken a back at the direction of this conversation. Logan continues, "Veronica those weeks we dated after I decided to let go of Lilly were so open, so honest, so fulfilling and I had to pinch myself that I could be in such a great relationship." He sighs audibly and then carries on, "The truth is deep inside I was worried that I would mess it up. My dad kept telling me that you will figure out what a screw up I am and drop me just like Lilly always did. I knew that you could date any guy you wanted and that guys like Josh and Victor would be better for you."

"What?" she interrupts.

Logan stops unsure at what she is asking. He explains, "Guys like Josh and Victor are going places in life. They are good guys and they would be able to give you the life you deserve."

A little frustrated she says, "No, not that ridiculous stuff about other guys being better for me. What did you say about your dad?"

He pauses while he processes that she does not think Josh and Victor would be better for her. Finally he asks, "Do you really think I could give you the big house, white picket fence, 1.5 children?"

Unconsciously he holds his breath while he waits for her answer. A little frustrated that he missed her question, she says, "Well it would be hard to have 1.5 children now wouldn't it?"

Now it is Logan's turn to be frustrated. He really wants to know if she believes he can give her a happy future; if he can be good for her. "Veronica, just answer my question."

She is surprised that this topic is important to him but she answers honestly, "Logan, who knows what the future will bring? Marie may not even get the chance at the future she wants. Cynthia and Derek may lose their only child. My mother left my dad to raise me alone." Relaxing a little she finishes, "I am not a little girl anymore. I am not looking for the prince to take me away to his castle and take care of me. I am just like any other girl; getting through each day the best I can." Finishing she says, "That said, I was happy with you Logan. There is so much about you I like. I liked how it was emotionally and physically between us. I lived for today but I hoped for someday too."

"I hope for that too," he tells her quietly.

Pausing to gather her thoughts and emotions she asks, "Your dad told you that I would find out who you really were and drop you?" She is horrified that Aaron would set his son up for failure like that. He is such a horrible person and father! What kind of man tells his son he is not worth a woman who would be good to him and make him happy? Talking to her grandfather this past week has shown Veronica that Logan will have a lot of issues to overcome because of the emotional and physical abuse he is suffering. Although she is upset at how he treated her, she can now understand why he would stay in such a negative relationship like the one he had with Lilly Kane. She originally just thought he really loved her but now she can see that perhaps he really didn't think he was worthy of love. His father abuses him and his mother doesn't protect him. If the two people who are supposed to love you the most in the world can't, then who can?

This past week Veronica has thought a lot about her relationship with her mother. Her mother left her and it really hurts but her mother didn't abuse her. In fact she is kind of abusing herself with the alcoholism. Her grandfather helped her to understand that her mother leaving wasn't about her; it was about her mother's issues.

Now Veronica is torn about her relationship with Logan. He hurt her but she is beginning to see that his indecision may be more about him than it is her and although she is still hurting about it, she is not as angry as she was.

Logan interrupts her thoughts backtracking, "Look my father has nothing to do with us."

Now upset he is withdrawing from the discussion, she says, "Why do you even listen to anything that man has to say. He is a horrible husband and father. Thank your lucky stars you aren't anything like him. Why would you believe anything he says?"

Logan is shocked. Veronica doesn't think he is anything like his father and doesn't want him to be anything like him. Even Lilly who knows he abuses Logan still thinks his father is handsome and charming.

The handsome teen is not really sure why fate allowed him to meet and date Veronica but he is so deeply moved to know her. He says, "Veronica, perhaps we can have deeper discussions about my issues and your issues another time. Tonight I would just like to have some fun with no worries. Tonight I just want to let loose and dance, eat good food, visit with friends and relax."

The perceptive Sheriff's daughter can read between the lines. Logan has been stressed on vacation with his parents.

He adds a little sheepishly, "Besides a certain baseball playing friend of mine may have asked if you might be bringing Erica with you if you came."

As Logan hoped, Veronica jumped on that bit of information and asked, "Luke likes Erica?"

Pretending to be offended, he comments, "I didn't say any such thing. If one of my friends was interested in one of your friends, he would have to man up and ask her out himself. I am not a match maker."

Amused, she deadpans, "Of course. I didn't mean to imply you were."

"Good," he huffs dramatically, "You are forgiven."

Openly laughing she comments, "Thank you. We may drop over later."

He tells her sincerely, "I hope you do."


	24. Chapter 24

_Story so Far: AU. Veronica is not part of the Fab 4. Logan and Lilly are on an off period when Logan starts dating Veronica Mars. At first they just agree to date until he goes back to Lilly but before they know it a few months has gone by and Logan really likes his relationship with Veronica. He decides not to go back to Lilly and give his relationship with Veronica a real chance. Lilly talks to Logan and tells him she wants him back and is willing to be with just him; no other guys. Logan is torn. He tells Veronica he needs time to sort out his thoughts as he has feelings for both her and Lilly. Veronica is not receptive and tells Logan they are done. A conversation with his mother helps Logan realize it is really Veronica he wants and needs. Unfortunately she is set of getting over him. In the meantime Veronica's little sister by choice is very sick and Veronica is worried about her. Logan has to go overseas for the Christmas vacation and can't see Veronica. When Logan comes back he starts his campaign to win Veronica back._

The dark haired teen has to smile at her friend's disgruntlement. She bites her bottom lip and then points out, "Maybe you should look at it this way; a handsome, rich, ex-boyfriend wants to see you badly enough to fix the odds in his favor."

"I hate to be manipulated," the petit blond mutters.

Openly laughing now, Mac points out, "You mean out manipulated."

After making a quick face at her friend, Veronica turns back to her closet to see what she should wear tonight. Finally picking out a skirt, she turns to Mac and points out, "I get I have to be there tonight but I don't have to spent time with Logan."

Seeing a chance to find out what Veronica is really feeling about the popular 09er, Mac pretends to be busy on her lap top as she points out, "You probably won't have to worry about Logan bothering you. The 09er girls at the party will be lining up to be his next interim girl." The brunette hides a smile as she sees the frown cross her friend's face. Veronica still has feelings for Logan; there is no doubt about that. The thought of watching other girls make a play for the desirable 09er is making her friend a little green eyed.

Logan's obvious upset at hurting Veronica convinced Mac that he really did care about her. As one of Veronica's closest friends, she had been able to really see the couple together and unless he had been acting the whole time, Logan did grow to care about her friend. After all, there is something deeply appealing about Veronica.

Now it appears that Logan Echolls and Lilly Kane are not getting back together this time. Mac is a logical person and the odds of the IT couple staying apart were not high. This is definitely the longest they have been broken up. Lilly had been open with the fact that she wanted Logan back but they had not gotten back together. There are a lot of different rumors ranging from Lilly is done with Logan to Veronica threatening to kill herself if Logan doesn't get back with her.

Now Veronica has confided that Logan still wants her back. He has supported her emotionally with her upset about Marie's cancer and they talked on the telephone a few times while he was overseas.

Mac knows how determined to get over Logan Veronica is but right now she is going to have to put her money on Logan winning Veronica back. He is an outgoing, handsome, sexy, charming guy who is going to be very hard to say no to. It is really genius to invite Veronica to a party and then when she balks about going, tell her that one of his friends is interested in one of her friends. She is almost obligated to show up now.

The reality is both Mac and Veronica would have to go to the party anyways. Erica has done nothing but moon about Luke since she became involved with the baseball team. Her younger brother Drake is a freshman and this year he made the varsity team. Erica agreed to be statistician for the team to support her brother. She is a math wiz and the coach is enjoying the detailed information he got from Erica after the fall scrimmage games. Erica enlisted Mac to help her update the baseball web site and Veronica to take pictures for the site as well. The fact that Luke is single and there will be limited 09er girls at the party definitely increases the odds that Erica could catch Luke's attention. As her best friends, they would both have to go to support her. Veronica provides the perfect in to any 09er party even before she dated Logan Echolls. She has been going to 09er parties since her freshman year when she dated the most popular guy in the school. However to Mac's way of thinking, it is very telling that Logan is so eager for Veronica to attend that he is willing to use any means including emotional blackmail to get her there.

Mac knows her friend well and can see she is very afraid of getting hurt again. Logan has his work cut out for him to gain her trust again. However this break up, Mac has seen more pain in her friend. She was hurt when Josh and then Victor left but the split with Logan seems to have affected Veronica more acutely.

Mac looks up when Erica comes into the room. She has a bag with the clothes she is planning to wear to the party. Of course Veronica didn't tell her that Luke might be interested in her, she merely enlisted Mac's help in getting Erica to the party. Mac had pretended to be excited to go when Veronica invited them. The redhead was always happy to go out and she probably thought Veronica wanted to see Logan so she was willing to help her friend.

Not above plotting herself, Mac suggests, "Why don't we have some fun getting ready tonight?" She looks at her friends and explains, "Why don't we each have someone else do our hair and makeup?"

She withstands Veronica's look knowing that Erica won't figure out her plan but Veronica is not as easily fooled. Happily Erica is enthused with the idea. She squeals, "I'm doing your hair and make up Mac." Plastering a look of acceptance on her face while inwardly happy at how her plan is working out like she wanted, she agrees, "OK, I'll do your hair and make up V."

The petit blond looks suspiciously at Mac but does not see how this plan would benefit her so she goes over to her vanity table and gets out her make up case. As she thinks about it, she decides that she is going to make Luke take notice of Erica. Normally Erica doesn't wear much make up but she has beautiful eyes and her hair looks good curled and down. Looking critically at Erica's hair which is up in its usual pony tail she says, "I'll go get my curling iron."

As Erica does Mac's hair she thinks about getting to see Luke tonight. Initially Erica liked Luke but she thought he was too far out of her league to date. He is a pitcher on the team and an 09er. She is a math geek and more like an 04er. Then Veronica dated Logan and Logan was perfectly agreeable to expand the 09er horizons to include Veronica's friends and soccer team. Luke had approached her about tutoring him in math a couple of weeks before finals. She had helped him and they got along well. It was a first step; a tentative step.

Logan is enjoying himself at the party. He is not sure that Veronica is coming but he hopes she does. He has hurt her and he knows he has issues but for the very first time in his life, he really wants to try a normal relationship. More than that, he thinks he can be good for her as well.

A couple of hours into the party, Logan is sitting on the patio watching slightly inebriated teenagers jump on a trampoline. It is endlessly entertaining; from the scantily clad girls bouncing enticingly to the more rambunctious, 'accidents looking to happen' boys who are egged on by their friends to jump higher and try increasingly dangerous tricks. Logan is pretty sure there is going to be a trip to the hospital in someone's future.

He gets a text from Cassidy that Veronica, Erica and Mac have arrived. Logan's face lights up and he immediately gets up from his chair and heads inside to the front door. When he arrives he sees that Dick is happily greeting the three hot girls and welcoming them to the party. He has his arms around Veronica and Erica and is leading them to the kitchen.

Veronica is wearing a short denim skirt and a bright purple t shirt that says in big letters, "Donate a Book." In smaller letters underneath it adds, "Together we can cure stupid." Her hair is up and hangs down from a clip in curls. She looks very sexy. Erica is wearing a black skirt with a black and grey lace shirt. She has more make up on than usual and she looks really good. Mac is dressed the most conservative of the three wearing tight jeans and satin red blouse that really looks good on her. Looking closely Logan thinks she might be wearing more eye make up than he is used to seeing on her.

Logan's attention goes back to Dick telling Veronica that she looks hot and telling her, "Ronnie, if you are trying to tempt Logan, perhaps a more revealing outfit would work better."

"I wore this shirt for you," she sweetly tells the tall 09er.

Shaking his head he says, "You're hot but you are too much of a bitch for me." He squeezes her shoulder and adds, "Besides, Logan wants you."

Mac is following behind with Cassidy and they are both openly laughing at the situation. Logan imagines that they know each other from computer club or advanced classes. Sometimes Dick's ego is unbelievable and seeing that he totally missed Veronica's zinger is actually very funny.

The king of the 09ers intervenes before Dick can talk anymore possibly offending one or all of the girls and agrees, "I do want you." He steps into the middle of the hallway, reaches in and pulls Veronica away from his drunken friend. She can see he heard her conversation with Dick and, as always, is amused by him. Exuberantly he hugs the petit blond and cheers, "You made it."

Amused at his happiness, she smiles and intones, "Indeed I did."

Wrapping his arm around her he turns and walks with her directing her towards the kitchen saying, "Let's get you fine ladies a drink and then show you around this rocking party."

After they get a drink, Erica is pulled away to join some of the baseball players in the living room. Immediately one of them asks her to dance.

Cassidy meanwhile is happily telling Mac that he got has gone up a level in some on line game and Mac is actually looking interested. Without much effort, Mac is persuaded to go and see the newly renovated gaming room. She happily leaves the kitchen with a small wave to Veronica as she follows Cassidy downstairs.

Veronica looks suspiciously at Logan as her friends are pulled from her. He pretends not to see her look and asks, "What do you want to do first?" When a new group of teens enter the kitchen, Logan pulls her protectively into the shelter of his body. They are loud and rambunctious talking about whatever event just happened outside.

Sighing inwardly as she remembers how gentlemanly Logan was when they were together, Veronica steps closer to Logan until the group passes. He always kept his focus on her but he seemed to automatically know what was going on around him and kept her safe and secure. There was no doubt about it, Logan was protective of her and if she was honest, she liked that about him. Looking up at him now she quietly says, "I have been coming to these parties by myself for years. You don't need to entertain me."

Turning his gaze to meet hers, Logan softly tells her, "No deep discussions tonight Veronica. Both of us need to just bust out and have fun." Holding his gaze she sees that he is not hurting, but he is stressed. She imagines that spending time alone with his parents was a difficult thing for him. As if trying to avoid a big blowout with his father isn't enough, it upsets him when his father fools around on his mother and then blames her for his infidelity. Gently he reaches a hand up and caresses her cheek cajoling, "My father and mother are going to come home in a few days. Marie is getting more testing this week. Soon enough we are going to have to deal with our worries." He pauses and just looks down at her letting her see his upset, "I just need to spend some time with you just having fun. Can we do that tonight please?"

Knowing there is no way she can resist his soft brown eyes when he says he needs her, she has to acknowledge that the boy is a master manipulator. Wryly she agrees, "I could use a fun night."

His face lights up and she feels her heart skip at the happiness there. He hugs her and suggests, "Let's go kick some ass at crokinole."

Truthfully she really needs to bust out tonight and she knows Logan wouldn't let her get hurt. No one will mess with her if she is with Logan. A little worried she says, "I need to make sure that Mac and Erica are OK though."

Smiling he says, "Cassidy is going to make sure that Mac has fun. He will text me throughout the night." Moving a little closer he adds making sure no one can hear, "Luke is anxious to spend some quality time with Erica. He will protect her."

Curious she asks, "Does Luke really like Erica?"

Shaking his head at his friend's behavior, Logan tells her, "He has been interested this whole semester but hasn't made a move yet." His voice a little disgruntled he adds, "He has been semi stalking her for weeks giving her hints that she has been missing." His forehead creases as he observes, "He is not nervous about pitching in a big game but he is a complete wuss about talking to Erica."

Biting her lip in amusement Veronica's eyes sparkle as she looks up at him. She shares, "Erica can be unbelievably obtuse sometimes. She understands numbers a lot better than people."

Shaking his head he gets control of the conversation, "No Ronnie. We have wasted enough time talking about our friends and their love lives. Tonight they are on their own." He puts both arms out in an expansive gesture, "Tonight we are all about relaxing and having fun."

She answers his smile not fooled at the tone of his words. She knows he is making sure that her friends are having fun and are safe. "Well then I guess we could start with dominating some of our classmates in the games room."

An hour later Logan is leaning against the wall waiting for his turn at crokinole; watching Veronica do a short victory dance when she sinks her game piece in the middle. When they were dating, he learned that she has just the right touch in the game and is a good strategist. Tonight, they started out at darts and got beat by Derek and James. Logan can't say it was hard to watch her bite her lip as she focused on the dart board during her turn. To his immense relief, he and Veronica have fallen into their pattern of being together while they wait for their turns. They hug each other for good shots and at times she leans against him while they watch their opponents take their turns.

The reality is Logan really does need to hold her. He likes to be touching his girlfriends but with Veronica, he especially missed her support and the feeling of contentment he gets just being near her. It also hasn't hurt that Veronica is on her second wine cooler. He bought her favorite brand in a bottle so she could open it and know it was safe. He is happy that she is more relaxed and seems to be having fun. Marie's fall out of remission has really been taking a toll on her. She needs to relax, have fun and let others be strong for her once in a while.

Logan is brought back by Veronica bouncing up to him and wrapping her arms around him exuberantly. He glances over at the table and sees that she has finished the game for their team. She was obviously on a roll while he was thinking. He looks back at her as he wraps his arms around her holding her close. She suggests, "Let's go and check out the dance floor."

Leaning down to talk in her ear, he says, "You mean see how Erica and Luke are doing, don't you?"

Pouting cutely she intones, "I would never break our rule tonight of no matchmaking." Tilting her head a little she flirts, "Maybe I just want to dance with you."

"I apologize for my suspicious nature," he immediately concedes, "Let's go dance Sugarpuss."

The 09ers in the games room can see that Logan is choosing to spend time with Veronica. He is focused on her and he is definitely interested in being with her. None of them thought he and Lilly Kane would stay broken up but they have been apart for months and if the rumors are true, they are not getting back together. Now he has made it clear that he wants to date Veronica Mars. He gets upset if anyone talks badly about her and he has been open with the 09er girls who flirt with him that he is not interested.

Veronica picks up her wine cooler and takes a sip. She starts walking towards the door. Looking back at Logan she suggests, "We could check out the buffet while we are out there."

Laughing he waves at his friends as he follows her out of the room. "Ahhh, I should have known that being in my arms wasn't the main attraction."

Teasing back she mock frowns, "I can't believe you thought that was possible."

Pretending to be upset he threatens, "Just for that I am going to show you up on the dance floor."

Giggling she waves her arms and says, "Oh, it's on."

He comes up behind her wrapping his arm around her waist and ushering her towards the loud music. He leans down and warns, "You better bring it."

Turning her head back she says happily as she gives him the head bob, "Consider it brought."

As they enter the room together, they ignore the looks they are getting. Logan keeping his arm around her waist takes her drink and puts it on a nearby table. He turns his back to the dance floor, takes both her hands and pulls her with him as he backs up towards all the dancing students. He challenges, "Let's see what you got."

She just laughs at him as she follows him onto the dance floor and begins to move to the pulsating beat.

She looks around as they dance and notices that Erica and Luke are standing together out on the patio. Erica looks flushed as if they have been dancing. They are talking to a few of the baseball players but they are obviously together.

Logan notices her preoccupation and informs her as he pulls her closer to dance together, "Cassidy texted me that Mac is currently kicking ass in a four player on line game involving some sort of wizardry and other geeky details that I immediately tuned out."

Smiling up at him she follows his lead as they dance together. "Quit pretending to be such a hard ass. I can see your marshmallow side."

He immediately pretends to be offended, "Take that back."

She can't help but laugh up at him. He takes the opportunity to spin her around and then pull her even closer as they dance to the music.

Erica looks into the large formal living room and sees Logan and Veronica dancing together. She pulls out her phone and texts Mac. Luke looks over and sees what she is looking at. He leans in to comment, "Logan really wants to get back with Veronica."

The redhead looks up at Luke and comments a little protectively, "He really hurt her."

Luke steps closer and leans in to share, "Logan has lots of girls throw themselves at him but he never fooled around on Lilly or Veronica. I think he was really torn when Lilly wanted him back. He was just being honest with Veronica." Their gazes meet and Luke finishes, "Veronica is actually pretty good for Logan."

She tells him looking back over at her friend, "There is something special about Veronica."

"She has always been really nice to me," Luke tells her and then adds, "She seems to attract the drama though."

Laughing Erica looks back at the handsome pitcher and has to admit, "That she does."

Luke looks at Erica and tentatively starts, "I am friends with Logan but he is all about the drama as well." The tall 09er pitcher looks into Erica's striking hazel eyes and shares, "I prefer a relationship that is calm, open and drama free."

"Me too," she agrees.

Encouraged by their talk Luke takes a deep breath and asks, "Maybe we could go out to dinner and a movie tomorrow night?"

Her face lights up in a smile, "I would like that."

Mac, during a break in the game, looks at her text from Erica. She smiles as she reads that Logan and Veronica are now dancing.

Cassidy sitting next to her notices her smile and checks, "Are you ready to start the next level?"

Turning her attention back to the sweet boy sitting next to her she reassures him, "I am."

He asks, "Do you want me to get you another drink or something to eat first?"

She smiles at him and shakes her head answering, "Maybe later. I am having a blast playing on the big screen."

He smiles back at her and brags a little, "This system is pretty awesome!"

Agreeing she shares, "I am so jealous of you getting to play on this whenever you want."

"You are welcome to come over and play anytime you want," he offers.

Touched, she smiles and says, "Thanks. I would love that."

Back in the living room, the music has slowed down and Logan, not one to pass up an opportunity to hold a beautiful girl close, immediately pulls Veronica into his arms and wraps his arms around her. Relaxed, Veronica wraps her arms around his neck and puts her head on his chest. She lets herself drift to the music and enjoy the feeling of her body touching Logan's harder and more sculpted body. Logan just enjoys holding Veronica in his arms. She fits against him perfectly. He sighs deeply and gently puts his chin on her head briefly closing his eyes in satisfaction.

Erica and Luke walking through the dance area towards the kitchen to get another drink notice the contentment on Logan's face as he dances with Veronica. There is no mistaking that he is right where he wants to be. The petit blond is also relaxed and has her eyes closed enjoying the dance.

Luke looks over at Erica and takes her hand to pull her through the doorway area which is crowded. He sees her look at their joined hands and smile. He makes no effort to let go of her hand once they are in the more spacious kitchen area.

Logan opens his eyes looking around the living room. He sees Luke take Erica's hand as they walk through to the kitchen. He smiles happy that his friend has finally made a move. He likes Luke and in the last few months he has gotten to know Erica. She's pretty and nice for a math wiz. She and Veronica have been friends for years and he can see the bond between them.

After a couple of slow songs the music starts to speed up. Logan pulls slightly away from Veronica and looks down at her. She opens her eyes and gazes up at him. He sees the emotions in her face and he feels his possessiveness rise. That look on her face always makes him want to pick her up and take her somewhere where they can be alone and he can make her his.

Their gazes collide and Veronica seems to realize where they are. She lowers her gaze immediately but not before Logan has seen her passion for him and she has seen his desire for her.

Tonight is not the time for pushing their relationship forward; he understands that, so he pulls back a little farther and asks easily, "Shall we check out the buffet?"

Grateful for the suggestion she enthuses, "That sounds like a great idea."

He puts his hand on her back and says, "Let's see if we can find the newest couple and spend some time with them."

Pleased at the thought of seeing how Erica and Luke are doing, the blond pixie looks up at Logan and tells him, "I am hungry."

Careful not to make a comment about her obsession with food, Logan agrees, "I could eat as well."

He turns her towards the kitchen so they both can get another drink and then head over to the buffet. He sees her texting Erica to meet them and smiles. Nobody can make a plan come together like Veronica.

_Meanwhile in Seattle_

Veronica's grandfather sighs as he goes up the walkway of the two story house. This whole situation with his granddaughter and her ex-boyfriend has been worrisome. Talking to her over the holidays, he can see that she really cares about this boy. Keith tells him that Logan wants to get back with her and that she is resisting. He has to smile because Veronica is one of those women who are a handful. She's smart, funny and so beautiful inside and out but there is a side to her that is challenging and pushy. She likes to get her way and she has no problem manipulating to get what she wants. She is like her late grandmother; she will lead her man on a merry dance and he will love every minute of it.

A part of him wants to get Veronica far away from this Logan. Keeping his promise to Veronica, he had Aaron Echolls researched and of course Logan's injuries and trips to the hospital documented. The abuse is even more horrible than he imagined. There is no way that this young man won't have a lot of residual issues from his childhood. His beloved granddaughter deserves the perfect man; not some guy who may hurt her or has hurt her with his issues. That said, he does understand that Veronica will be good for Logan. She is steady, loving, caring and she is like her pit bull; she will be very protective and loyal. His years as a police officer has shown him that Logan's issues are not his fault and he deserves a better life that he has been given.

Sighing as he comes out of his thoughts, he pushes the doorbell and waits to be let in. Ian is one of his most trusted friends and over the years they have helped each other out when needed. Right now he needs Ian to help him handle Aaron Echolls.

_Back in Neptune_

Derek sits in his car outside the fire hall. He knows he should start the engine and go home. He is just getting off his long stretch at work and he needs to spend some time with Cindy and Marie. Right now though, he just can't make himself start the car. For the first time in his life, he doesn't want to go home; he doesn't want to walk in the front door and smell the cancer. He never knew that cancer had a smell before. Now when he walks in the door of his home he can smell it. Maybe it isn't cancer; maybe it's fear. Whatever it is, when he holds his brave, beautiful daughter he doesn't smell the berry shampoo she used to use or the sweet, pure scent that was always such a part of holding her. Now he smells cancer.

He knows that Cindy and Marie are afraid. He knows they are relying on him to be strong and be a leader; but right now, right this second, he feels deeply afraid. It is too much to ask for him to be strong; to deal with the bills and the insurance company, to support both Cindy and Marie. The truth is he is trying to hold it together but he doesn't know how much longer he can pull off the act. On the surface he is doing well but underneath, he is starting to break; he just doesn't know anymore.

He loves Cindy and Marie. He wants to be there for them. He wants to be the husband and father they need. He thought he could do it but he is worried that he can't. Right now, he is drained. He is bone weary and has nothing left to give; he is emotionally, mentally and physically exhausted. However you want to word it, he doesn't know anymore; he isn't sure he can do it anymore. Cancer is taking more than Marie away from him. It is draining the vibrancy out of Cindy and it is making a mockery of their happy lives and home. He is just a shell of the man he was and his closeness to Cindy has dissolved and all but disappeared.

It is all ebbing away. His life is like the sandcastles they used to build when they went to the beach. The hard work is worth it and the castle stands tall and strong but truly it is being undermined by the waves and soon collapses. Then is it washed away and quickly there is little left to show for it. He puts his head down on the steering wheel and cries.

_The Casablanca's Residence_

At midnight, Mac stands up and stretches. She had a blast tonight. She was the only girl in the games room and the guys were great about letting her play. Cassidy's new gaming system is state of the art and there were two consoles to play on. Maybe someday she would be able to afford the latest technology but until then, she enjoyed the evening.

Cassidy tells her he is going to walk her to the door. She doesn't argue with him because when she told him he didn't have to leave his friends to take her to the buffet, he looked uncomfortable and finally admitted that Logan told him to stay with her and make sure she was protected. Mac was actually a little touched after she got over her surprise.

"Logan wants Veronica to himself," the bashful 09er explains and adds, "Besides, there is a corresponding increase in the number of poor decisions made at parties as time passes."

Laughing she had agreed to have him as her escort and thanked him nicely for helping her. Truthfully, he had enjoyed his evening with her. She was pretty, smart and wicked with computers and games.

Erica had the best evening of the three girls. Veronica had done her hair and make up so she felt like she looked good. She was at an 09er party and got to spend some time with the boy she had been crushing on. The best part is that now she had a date with Luke tomorrow night. Around twelve thirty, Luke is sitting with her on the patio. She reluctantly tells him that she is going to have to head home with Veronica and Mac. Luke smiles at her and gallantly tells her he really enjoyed spending time with her.

Veronica, after her fourth wine cooler is back dancing, with Logan. They both love to dance. She is relaxed and happy to move to the music and Logan definitely has no complaints about watching her.

He sees that Mac has come up from downstairs and guesses that she is ready to go home. She is the DD tonight and will make sure that Veronica gets home safely. Logan, although sorry to see the evening end, is happy with how much fun he and Veronica had tonight. He is especially pleased with how she let loose and just enjoyed herself trusting he would take care of her. She really needed the outlet and he felt good that he was able to help her. He also needed the distraction tonight. He is not looking forward to his father being home later this week; there was a lot of tension over the holidays and from experience he knows what the increased tension means for him. Tonight though, he pushed aside his negative thoughts about home and just enjoyed being able to be with Veronica again. He has hope that tonight has been a big step in getting back with her.

When the music slowed he pulled her in his arms for one last slow dance before she had to leave. He looked over pleased that Luke was taking this opportunity to dance with Erica. He was surprised to note that Cassidy was also dancing with Mac.

Veronica looking around thought about how this was an especially fun party. Partly she thinks it is because the teenagers have been apart over the Christmas vacation. Another reason this party is so much more fun and relaxed than the normal 09er parties is that Lilly Kane and most of her mean girl crew were not there. It was surprising how much negativity they brought with them.

Overall she had to admit that she had a lot of fun with Logan tonight. He was right to get her to come to this party. After eating some really excellent food with Luke and Erica, the boys challenged the girls to a game of horseshoes. Erica had never played before and it had been amusing to see her first few attempts as she was hampered by being non athletic and wearing heels.

For the other three, listening to a slightly inebriated Veronica tease both men had been very amusing as well. The petite blond has a tendency to be outspoken sober but the group learned how funny she was without her normal filter.

Midway through the game, Dick and John arrived and made the mistake of loudly talking about both Erica's and Veronica's lack of playing ability. Veronica had channeled her inner blond cheerleader. She exuberantly brought up how in biology she read that aggressive behavior with other males was often triggered by a need to impress and attract a mate from the opposite sex but there was some research that demonstrated that aggressive physical or verbal behavior against the opposite sex indicated a need to attract and impress mates from the same sex. Then she had giggled and asked John if Dick's behavior attracted him. Dick had been confused by her comment and had bragged that he attracted a lot of attention but John had caught the reference and had been embarrassed by Dick's comment.

Logan, Luke and Erica had made things worse with their obvious amusement at the petite blond's ability to talk above Dick and make him trip himself while appearing to be just making conversation. Logan, used to dealing with Dick and Veronica, had easily diffused the situation by getting Dick to show up some freshman on the trampoline and then sending John to have Dick's back.

Veronica had cracked Luke up when she murmured, "I think John likes Dick's back." Erica and Logan had smirked. Logan had redirected Veronica by commenting that he liked her back which caused her to remember that she liked his back as well.

Luke listening to Veronica and Logan tease each other realized that they were a good match for each other. Although they sent each other verbal shots, there was an underlying respect and trust. Logan and Lilly could be very cutting with their words and actions but Logan was gentle, loving and unfailingly kind to Veronica. It was clear that Veronica admired Logan as well. Busy with baseball, Luke had not seen the couple together close up. Now that he had, he could believe that the rumors of Logan and Lilly being over for good might be true; Logan Echolls could actually love Veronica Mars.


	25. Chapter 25

_Story so Far: AU. Veronica is not part of the Fab 4. Logan and Lilly are on an off period when Logan starts dating Veronica. What starts out as fun becomes serious after Logan tells Veronica he loves her. Before Christmas Lilly tells Logan she is ready to commit to just him and he is torn. When he tells Veronica he is unsure, she never wants to see him again. A conversation with his mother helps Logan realize it is really Veronica he wants and needs. Unfortunately she is set on getting over him. Now Logan has to prove to Veronica he is sure this time._

Morning After the Party

Veronica stretches in bed and then turns over curling into a ball enjoying the warmth before she has to get up and start her day. Logan had made her drink a bottle of water after dancing the first time and then gave her a bottle of water to drink on the way home so she didn't really have much of a hangover; only a mild headache. She has to admit he really did look after her last night. He bought her favorite wine coolers and then stayed by her side all night ensuring she was safe and had a good time. He bypassed all the usual drinking games; although being Logan, he did suggest that they have their own game of seven minutes in heaven.

Closing her eyes she thinks about how Logan has this ability to make her feel like she is the most important thing in his life. She has to admit he has a way of focusing on you that makes you feel special and loved. She hadn't realized before they dated but Logan is a tactile guy. It is not just that he physically touches you; it is the way he does it. Although most guys don't like to kiss just for the sake of kissing; Logan does. He likes all sorts of kisses ranging from gentle touches just to let her know he is there and cares about her to the wildly passionate, all-consuming kisses that literally made her head spin and her lower body clench for him. He didn't just kiss her lips; he liked to kiss her cheek, forehead, behind her ear, neck, shoulder, wrist and the inside of her elbow. It wasn't just how good it felt for his lips to touch her skin, it was how his touches made her feel. He made her feel like she was his total focus. He upped the ante when they were making love; kissing her everywhere, touching her everywhere. He is a lover who likes to caress her whole body, paying attention to her feet, back of her knees and her belly as well as the more common erogenous zones. He enjoyed giving her massages and he liked her to touch him. She also liked his everyday touches. She liked when they were just holding hands. He gently caressed her palm, the back of her hand and her finger tips as they walked. He liked to run his fingers up and down her arm while they were watching a movie on the couch together. Most times she didn't even know if he was aware of it. He just seemed to like the feel of her skin. Logan didn't just use his hands and mouth to touch her; he caressed her with his eyes. Those brown soulful eyes that were soft when he was feeling affectionate, occasionally sparkled with genuine laughter, looked like melted chocolate when he wanted her and darkened with lust and need when he joined with her. Logan was not a lover who rushed. He liked to take his time and caress, touch and kiss her into a complete, passionate awakening that led to total, blissful submission.

Josh and Victor were both good lovers and they treated her well but they didn't touch her soul. She groans and sits up on the edge of the bed. God she sounded like a woman from a romantic novel. It was definitely time for her to get up and get something accomplished today instead of lying in bed thinking of her ex-boyfriend.

Still if she was being honest with herself she had to admit that she felt happy last night when she was with Logan. He hugged her, held her hand, held her in his arms and she felt wonderful being with him again. On the way back towards the dance floor, Logan had his arm around her waist walking with her and he unexpectedly pulled her into his arms and turned her pinning her between the wall and his warm body. When she looked up at him to see what was going on, he kissed her. The short make out session started as gentle short kisses but he lifted his hand to her neck, tipped her face up and then he really kissed her. She had immediately responded kissing him back and they had only broken apart when Dick had bumped them telling them loudly to get a room.

Logan had not moved away from her; instead leaning in and whispering in her ear how much he missed her; missed kissing her, touching her, talking to her and just spending time with her. He pulled back a little meeting her gaze and she had seen the love. She is not sure what he read in her eyes but he had gently put his forehead to hers and said, "Let's dance."

An hour later Veronica enters the one story bungalow and calls out a generalized hello. She hears Derek's answering hello from the kitchen and heads that way. When she arrives in the kitchen she sees that he is preparing his famous hamburgers. Smiling at him she walks over to the other side of the island and asks dramatically, "Please tell me you are making those for today."

Derek smiles in return and tells her, "You are just in time for lunch."

Clapping excitedly she squeals and pumps her fist in the air, "Yes!"

Unable to resist, Derek laughs at her enthusiasm. Teasingly he preaches, "There is no such thing as a free lunch Veronica."

Pretending to be chastised she asks, "What do I have to do?"

He smiles genuinely at her and suggests, "Maybe you could get the fixings for the burgers ready?"

"Sure," she says agreeably and heads to the sink to wash her hands to help. As she is washing her hands, she asks, "Where are Cindy and Marie?"

As he continues to form patties from the meat in the bowl he tells her that they are both lying in loungers on the patio. He says, "I have been told that they are the queen and princess and I am the servant boy." He looks over at her and comments, "Wait until you see what they are wearing."

Immediately intrigued she says, "Let me get my camera."

She goes over to her bag and pulls out her camera and heads over to the patio door to look. Derek says, "Before you go out there you should put on an apron, Maid Veronica."

Grinning she says, "I can do better than that." She goes into her bag and gets her brush and elastic. She makes a quick bun for the top of her head and then goes over to the drawer to get an apron. After she puts it on she gets a tray from the cupboard and puts two glasses with some ice on it. She gets a pitcher from the cupboard and quickly makes Marie's favorite Kool-Aid.

Derek catching on to her plan smiles as he watches her work. Relaxing a little at the teen's wonderful way of making everything fun, he continues to form the meat patties.

Veronica opens the patio door saying loudly, "Your majesties, I have brought you a cool beverage."

Derek hears Marie and Cindy giggle when they see Veronica and he feels a little of the pressure in this chest ease. Veronica is such a good big sister to Marie. A few minutes later she comes back in still laughing at their costumes. Cindy had dug out the costumes they wore for Halloween the previous year and they were both in gowns and were wearing crowns. Both the crowns had long wigs with them so Marie was a red-head and Cindy had long blond hair. Veronica immediately grabs her camera and goes outside to take some pictures.

When she comes back in her smile is huge and she puts the camera away and goes over to wash up again before she helps Derek with lunch.

Her phone rings and she pulls it out of her pocket and sees it is Logan. She answers and Derek listens as she talks. From what he can discern from just hearing Veronica's end of the conversation, she is talking to a guy and they were at a party together last night. Veronica giggles at whatever he is saying and tells him that Erica is very excited about her date with Luke tonight. After a few minutes of rehashing their date last night, Veronica indignantly exclaims, "Logan Echolls, we did not lose at darts because of me." After a few seconds of Logan obvious explaining why it was her faults she says, "Well OK, I will give you that but it was all me at Crokinole." There is another few seconds of quiet and she snorts, "I rock at Crokinole. It wasn't luck."

Derek smiles at how Logan is teasing her. He hears Veronica say, "I am having lunch at Derek and Cindy's house." She listens and then teases, "No, you are missing out." She looks at Derek and smiles at him while she presses her point home to Logan, "Derek is making his famous spicy hamburgers."

Deciding that this might be a good time for him to have a talk with Logan, Derek leans closer and says loudly, "Tell Logan to come over. There is plenty."

Her eyes widen and she looks at Derek immediately noticing his smirk. Defensive she tells him, "Oh no you don't! I already have an overprotective father who carries a gun."

Derek intones, "I am merely inviting him for lunch to thank him for all the food he has sent over."

"That's crap!" is the petite blonde's comment.

Logan listening to their conversation over the phone laughs and says, "Tell Derek I would love to come over. Do you want me to bring anything?"

Veronica shrugs even though he can't see, "It's your funeral so bring dessert."

Derek overhearing, laughs and tells her, "You are too suspicious for a teenager Veronica." He puts the formed patties in the fridge and tells her, "I'll go and tell the Queen and Princess that the Jester is coming for lunch."

Frowning at Derek's jab aimed at Logan, she says goodbye to Logan, puts her phone away and finishes washing up. She heads over to the fridge to get out the tomatoes, onions, pickles and lettuce to cut up.

When Logan arrives with a key lime pie that Mrs. Navarro made, he hears music from the back yard. He walks around the house and opens the gate quietly. He stands in surprise at the sight before him.

Cindy and Marie are lying on loungers wearing long gowns with wigs and crowns on their heads. They are both laughing uproariously. Veronica is wearing an apron and has her hair done up in a messy bun. Derek is wearing an apron as well but he has stuffed the front of his apron with a pillow to make a huge bust and he is wearing the wig Veronica had made for Marie. They are obviously the entertainment; singing and dancing to "Girls Just Want to Have Fun." Derek has an over the top girly voice and Veronica is trying really hard to join in and not break down with laughter. Knowing this is too good to miss; he whips out his cell phone and starts filming.

In the musical interlude, Veronica starts to teach Derek some moves and his imitation of her hip movements is priceless. Logan is laughing so hard that he is sure that his hand holding his phone is shaking.

When the song is over, Veronica and Derek pose standing together with their arms raised in victory. Marie and Cindy both clap and cheer. Marie looks over and sees Logan and waves. Cindy, Veronica and Derek look over and smile when they see him. Well to Logan's further amusement, Derek looks a little embarrassed.

Logan walks over and greets the smiling family. He sees that Marie has lost her hair again and has lost a lot of weight. Her color is off. It is not pale; it is almost a yellow.

He holds out his pie and says, "My Ladies, I have brought you a delicacy from across the land." He bows courtly. Marie and Cindy giggle.

Cindy answers regally, "We accept your offer but you will still have to entertain us."

"Yes," Marie demands, "You must entertain us."

Laughing Cindy continues, "If we are not properly entertained, we will have the royal axeman cut off your head."

Veronica laughs and starts to walk over to get the pie. Derek seeing an opportunity to embarrass Logan says in a high pitched voice, "No, I will take the pie in. You and Maid Veronica can entertain the Queen and Princess." He adds, "I will start the barbecue."

Logan is the son of two actors. He is not one to shy away from the limelight. He goes over to the stereo and looks quickly at the music sitting there. He smirks and pushes a button removing the CD and puts in another and the presses the button starting the music.

Veronica when she hears the start of the music says definitively, "No way…." She sees Marie and Cindy watching and tries to stay in her role adding, "Squire Logan."

Smirking at her weak attempt, he says, "Maid Veronica, it is our duty to entertain the Queen and Princess. " He walks over and takes her hand stage whispering, "You don't want me to get my head cut off, do you?" He is saved from Veronica's answer when the lyrics start.

Cindy watches Logan and Veronica sing together. Logan is one of the handsomest boys she has ever seen. He could definitely be an actor or a model. The surprising thing is that although he is aware of his looks, he doesn't seem to flaunt them. He dresses expensively and keeps his hair neatly trimmed but his looks are just a part of him; they don't seem to define him.

The few times she has seen him, she has noticed that he is very reserved. His dark eyes are always watching what is happening but most often he has a mask of indifference on. His whole demeanor changes around Veronica though. His features soften and he leans towards her like he is drawn to her. The most striking thing is the way his eyes show his emotions when he is with her. His beautiful brown eyes sparkle when she makes him laugh; they soften when he looks at her and they are like melted chocolate when he is touching her.

Shaking her head, Cindy wonders how Veronica even resists him. He's gorgeous, rich and those brown eyes are just so unbelievably deep and soulful. Most girls would be in a puddle at his feet.

Right now Logan and Veronica are singing to B52's Love Shack and they are actually doing well. Logan has a nice voice and of course Veronica has a lovely voice. They are playing off each other and Marie is really finding their performance amusing. Logan, knows how to play to an audience. He goes over and gets Cindy to get up and dance with them. Veronica, not to be outdone, gets Marie to join them as well. The four of them dance and sing the lyrics.

Cindy looks over towards the patio door and sees Derek standing there watching. He is smiling; enjoying the performance. It is really good to see his smile. That was what first attracted her to him. He was wearing his dress uniform and standing at attention during a ceremony. He was tall, fit and very handsome but when he smiled, she was lost. She hasn't seen that smile in a while and she has missed it.

She looks back over at Logan who is now dancing with Veronica. They are both laughing and obviously enjoy being with each other. Today has been a good day so far. Marie has not been nauseated and hopefully she will be able to eat one of Derek's hamburgers. Best of all they have had fun today. Derek is home. Veronica and Logan have come over to visit. It is a day full of love and laughter.

Cindy dances close to Marie and takes her hand, gently spinning her to the music. She leans closer and whispers in her ear, "It's obvious Logan loves her."

Smiling up at her mother, Marie agrees, "I think V loves him too." She adds impishly, "He's really hot!"

Surprising her daughter Cynthia gets a girly look on her face and says, "He really is." The two royals giggle together.

During lunch, Logan admits that Derek makes the best hamburgers. It is a happy meal. Marie is able to eat a burger and keep it down. There is a lot of love and laughter with Logan and Veronica doing their parts telling stories from school that made everyone laugh.

Cynthia and Veronica go out into the back yard to clean up while the boys are relegated to kitchen duty. Cynthia, taking advantage of the fact she is alone with Veronica takes her hand and looks fondly at her for a few seconds before she shares, "I just want to thank you for coming and seeing Marie so often." When Veronica starts to say she doesn't need thanks, the older woman puts her hand up to stop what Veronica is going to say. She quietly stresses, "No you need to understand how special you are and how much you mean to us." She takes Veronica's shoulders and looks at her meeting her gaze. "So many people are uncomfortable around sickness and everything that goes with Marie's illness. Most people avoid coming here."

When Veronica frowns at the thought, Cindy has to smile at how loving and loyal the teen is. She reassures her, "It probably isn't consciously done but people avoid uncomfortable situations. They don't know how to act and they don't know what to say. They are afraid or insecure." She continues, "I am not upset about it. I am just telling you what I have noticed. I just wanted to thank you for being here for us even when it is hard. That is when you know a true friend; they stay even when it is not easy."

Impossibly touched, tears spring to Veronica's eyes and she impulsively hugs Cynthia. She chokes out, "You are such a good mother and so strong. I am so impressed by how you have handled Marie's cancer."

Tearing up herself, Cindy hugs Veronica back and gratefully tells her, "Thank you for saying that. Sometimes I feel like I don't know what I am doing."

Logan comes back into the kitchen after gallantly settling Princess Marie on the couch. He had insisted that her delicate feet were not made for walking on the hard tile and easily lifted her out of the chair at the dining room table and carried her into the living room. Marie had been thrilled and blushed a little when Logan lifted her up.

Derek had watched how good Logan was with Marie teasing her and going along with the royalty theme. He had to admit he was beginning to revise his opinion of the spoiled, rich boy. Maybe there was more to him than first appeared. Besides the young man had the good sense to pick Veronica over the rich, heiress Lilly Kane. Although he messed up and hurt her, it was pretty clear now that Logan was head over heels in love with the pixie blonde.

Logan says, "Princess Marie is waiting to watch her movie. She has requested a glass of sweet tea and," imitating her he adds, "make sure she has a twisty straw." The teen expecting Derek to answer notices his preoccupation and looks out the window to see what he is looking at. He is immediately alarmed when he sees Veronica and Cindy hugging and obviously crying. He asks, "What is going on? Is everything OK?"

Derek is pleased that Logan is so obviously concerned about Veronica. He reassures the young man, "I think we are witnessing a girly moment and it has been my experience that the best thing to do is avoid getting involved.'

Logan relaxes and he smiles a little at Derek and tells him, "Good advice. Perhaps you can direct me to the sweet tea and bendy straws. I don't want to have her Highness throw me in the dungeon."

Laughing Derek intones, "We can't have that." He goes over and pulls a glass out of the cupboard near the fridge and then starts filling it with ice from the ice maker. He directs Logan, "The straws are in that cupboard," as he nods his head towards the cupboard in question.

Logan opens the cupboard door and sees the straws. He picks out a neon pink twisty straw and then shuts the door. Derek has opened the fridge and is pouring the sweet tea into the glass. He puts the pitcher back in the fridge when he is done and hands the glass to Logan who reaches out to take it. Derek meets Logan's gaze and warns, "I will do more than throw you in the dungeon if you ever hurt Veronica again."

"You guys should form a club," the teenager snarks and then adds with fake excitement, "You could get matching t-shirts."

Derek hides a smile at Logan's antics. Logan's face gets serious. He meets Derek's gaze as he tells the concerned firefighter. "I was an idiot! It won't happen again."

"Good," the concerned father nods accepting Logan's assurance.

Logan gets a devilish smile and yells to Marie, "Princess Marie, should Servant Derek pop you some corn to eat while you watch the movie."

Immediately Marie yells, "Servant Derek, make me some popcorn."

Derek frowns at Logan who looks unrepentant and before Derek can say anything, Marie adds imperially, "Make sure it has lots of butter."

Logan openly laughs as he heads into the living room. Derek has to smile when he hears Logan say, "I have your iced tea your Royalness." Derek hears Marie giggle and he shakes his head as he opens the cupboard on the island to get out the popcorn maker.

Veronica pulls a little away from Cindy and assures her, "You are doing a good job. You are always there for Marie. That is the most important thing."

Her maternal senses tingling, Cindy sees that the upset teen is not just talking about her relationship with Marie. She reaches up and gently pushes the hair back from Veronica's forehead and says, "Sweetie, I don't think your mother leaving had anything to do with you."

Veronica doesn't say anything so Cindy bends a little to look into her eyes and says, "I wouldn't be able to be here for Marie if I was an alcoholic."

Seeing that the petite blonde is shocked and upset, Cynthia rushes to reassure her, "I only know about her drinking because we have been around you and your family since you moved here." She tenderly adds, "She was a good mother and was a big help to me when Marie was little." Sighing audibly she continues on, "Then the alcohol took over and she changed." Tilting Veronica's face up so she can see it better, she adds, "I believe that alcoholism is a disease just like Marie's cancer. It took the mom you knew away from you."

Veronica is really shocked with the direction of the conversation. She says angrily, "Marie can't quit her cancer. My mom could have quit drinking. She left rehab without finishing. She chose the alcohol over me and Dad."

Sympathetically Cynthia says, "Oh Veronica, I don't think it is that easy to quit. It isn't a choice between you and the alcohol. The alcohol just took over her life. I feel so sorry for her."

"I don't. She made her choices," Veronica spits out.

Gently Cynthia caresses Veronica cheek and says, "Well I am sorry that you are hurting and that your mom left you but I think about how much she is missing out on and how much she must hate herself for letting you and Keith down. A mother from the time she knows she is pregnant has love, dreams and hopes for her child. To know you let your child down must be one of the hardest things to live with. You want to do right by your child."

Still not agreeing, Veronica says, "Good mothers want that. Selfish mothers don't care."

Cindy advises, "Well either way she is missing out. You are a beautiful, special, loving young woman and I am so glad that you are a part of my family."

The tears come again and Veronica says, her voice cracking with emotion, "I am glad to be part of your family as well."

Hugging the girl to her, Cynthia quietly tells her, "You can always come and talk to me Veronica. I love you."

"I love you too," the teen says as she hugs her back. They stand together supporting each other as women have done over time.

Feeling the upset in the teen, Cynthia wonders if more is bothering her than her mother. She starts, "Veronica, can I ask you something?"

Nodding the tiny blonde looks at the woman who has become like an older sister or second mother to her.

"Are you thinking of getting back together with Logan?" Cindy asks.

Sighing a little Veronica shares, "Part of me wants to. I like so much about him." Meeting Cindy's gaze she adds, "I miss him."

Nodding Cindy teases, "Who wouldn't?"

Amused, Veronica points out, "Sometimes that isn't a good thing. Girls hit on him even when I am there."

Frowning a little Cindy asks, "Would he fool around on you?"

Immediately shaking her head she reassures the worried mother, "No, he's not like that."

Trying to understand Cynthia looks at the teen and asks, "Why are you hesitating in getting back with him then?"

"I guess I just saw him and Lilly together for years. They were so passionate about each other and part of me thought it was a mistake to even date him when he was emotionally tangled with Lilly," she shares.

"So you think he may still go back to Lilly?" she asks.

The teen just shrugs and says, "He says he won't." She adds quietly, "He says he is sure about us now."

"What do you think?" Cynthia asks as she gently takes Veronica's hand.

Veronica thinks for a few seconds and then admits, "I am scared I will get hurt again. He meant more to me than Josh or Victor." She bites her bottom lip a little before she admits, "I was thinking we might go to college together and maybe someday get married."

Taking in the young girl's blush and her hesitancy about admitting her deep feelings, Cynthia comments, "Why do you have to be so serious? You are so young. In high school I just dated. I wasn't really looking for Mr. Forever." She adds wistfully, "Life is short. You should make sure you have fun now. Go out with your friends. Try new things. Dance until your feet are sore. You shouldn't let this time in your life pass you by."

The young woman thinks about what Cindy is saying. Right now Cindy's life is full of worries, problems and fears. That time in her life of carefree fun is gone. Now she and Derek have huge responsibilities. She reads between the lines that Cindy is hoping that Marie makes it to high school and has the opportunity to have boy problems.

Veronica looks at Cindy in shock. She opens her mouth and then closes it again. Finally she says, "You're right. I have been worried about the wrong things." She hugs her and says, "Thank you so much for talking to me. It really helped."

Cindy is brought out of her dark thoughts and hugs the young girl back. It feels good to talk to Veronica about regular girl problems. It is actually nice not to think about her own problems for a few minutes; just to have ordinary girl talk. She is always in the house, always faced with the reality of a sick daughter. She doesn't want to leave Marie. She is happy that they can afford for her to stay home full-time and look after her daughter. It's selfish but sometimes she envies Derek when he goes to work. It would be nice to have something else to focus on for a while.

Logan and Veronica leave the family to watch the movie together. It is nice for them to spend some time as a family. At Veronica's car Logan looks down at her and says, "That was a fun afternoon."

Veronica smiles up at him and nods in agreement. She comments, "Derek is crazy."

Laughing a little Logan agrees, "He really is." He adds, "I got video of his song with you."

Her face lights up and she pleads, "Oh, can you sent that to me please?"

He easily promises and adds, "I haven't laughed that hard in a long time." Pausing, he looks at the house and then back at Veronica. His voice is quiet as he shares, "Ronnie, I haven't seen Marie in a while. She has lost a lot of weight."

She looks at him and sees the deep concern on his face. She feels so very touched that he can worry about a little girl he doesn't know that well. He was so good with her today; teasing her, making her smile and laugh; making her feel special. It says something about him that he can be so caring. She takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly keeping her emotions under control. It is important to keep a positive attitude when she is around Marie but sometimes it is hard not to be afraid for her.

Veronica reaches up and puts a hand on Logan's chest gently caressing him through the soft material. Although she is worried about Marie, she thinks that she may take Cindy's advice and just enjoy the good things about being a teenage girl with no real responsibilities. She meets his gaze and asks, "Would you like to go to a movie tonight?"

"Did you want to spy on Luke and Erica?" he softly teases, his gaze searching hers for her mood since he saw her crying earlier.

Shaking her head she says, "I was thinking that we would go back to the theater where we had our first date."

He can see that her idea has special meaning but he is not really sure what it is. He agrees, "That sounds like fun. What movie is playing?"

She slowly moves her hand up his chest to the neck of his t shirt and then lets her hand slide up the side of his neck to the back where she gently caresses. When she looks up at him she answers a little vaguely, "I am not sure." She pauses the movement of her fingers and adds, "I wasn't planning on watching it anyways." She pulls his head down and kisses him.

_Back in Seattle_

Ian looks around the small office and sees they are alone. He notes the files piled on every available surface and the multitude of computer screens and keyboards on the large desk. He hands the folder over to the young man sitting behind the desk and outlines, "I'll need a full media blitz. Can it be ready next week?"

The slim, dark skinned young man looks through the contents of the folder slowly and when he is done quietly assures him, "No problem."

Sitting back in his chair, Ian runs his hand through his short graying hair and points out, "It has to be done very carefully." He adds meaningfully, "It can't be traced back to Seattle or anywhere in California."

Understanding the issues behind the request, the younger man nods easily. It is really no problem to hide the origin of the information. He closes the folder and absently taps it with his fingers as he thinks. Finally he says, "He is a public figure. I won't have any problem finding footage to use."

Ian remains unloving in his chair as he listens. He firmly tells the young man, "This is just between us."

The young man nods again but asks, "How public is this going to get?"

"That will be entirely up to the target," Ian answers quietly.

The young man looks across the desk at his friend. He asks curiously, "How did you get involved?"

Sighing Ian only says, "It's personal to one of my friends." He meets the young man's gaze and adds sincerely, "Thank you."

Shrugging carelessly, the young man leans back in his chair and smirks, "It will be nice to do my magic to help real people for once."

He gets a small smile in return and the older man says, "I'll owe you one." Ian gets up and leaves the office without any further discussion.


	26. Chapter 26

_Story so Far: AU. Veronica is not part of the Fab 4. Logan and Lilly are on an off period when Logan starts dating Veronica. What starts out as fun becomes serious after Logan tells Veronica he loves her. Before Christmas Lilly tells Logan she is ready to commit to just him and he is torn. When he tells Veronica he is unsure, she never wants to see him again. A conversation with his mother helps Logan realize it is really Veronica he wants and needs. Unfortunately she is set on getting over him. Now Logan has to prove to Veronica he is sure this time. After a great few days together, Veronica seems to be more willing to date Logan again._

Logan walking with Veronica through the front door of his parent's mansion has to smile at how perfect the last two days have been. That is not something he has been able to often experience in his lifetime and he knows he has the petite blonde walking with him to thank for it. He and Veronica really enjoyed Dick's party. Veronica was relaxed and looking to have fun. It reminded Logan of when they first started dating except they didn't have that first date awkwardness of not being sure what to say or to do. He watched Luke and Erica together at the party and he sincerely hoped he never looked that uncomfortable touching his girlfriends. Logan got the impression that when Luke held Erica's hand it was more a demonstration of possession than it was born of any desire to touch her. Although Logan will admit that he has a quick trigger on the jealousy guy, his desire to touch Lilly and now Veronica is more to make a connection than to show ownership. With him at least Lilly interpreted his need to touch her as a way to to hold her and she didn't like it. Thinking back he realized that in the last year or even more of their relationship they really only touched when they felt passionate; the affection of their early time together had dissipated. Veronica is just more affectionate. When she dated Josh and Victor, she touched them and seemed to be comfortable with them touching her when they walked or sat together. She easily and honestly hugs her friends and her family. Logan has to admit, even if it is only to himself, that he likes Veronica's demonstrations of affection; he likes her smiles, her touches and her kisses. He will admit, if only to himself, that it is the affection that makes his time with her so perfect; so special.

Yesterday being with Veronica over at Derek and Cindy's home was overall a really fun time. He can really see why they are all so worried about Marie. She is really thin and weak looking right now. Logan's admiration for what good parents Cindy and Derek are took a big jump yesterday. They both took care of Marie and gave her a fun and happy day in the process. He doesn't have much experience with good parenting but love and sense of family were present in that house yesterday. Truthfully he is also blown away by how good Veronica is with Marie. She has become her sister and part of the family. She was so comfortable over there and so loving with all three of them. He admires so much about Veronica and watching her with Marie just reinforced to him how special she is.

Last night he and Veronica did go to the movie and out for a quick dinner afterwards. He is not sure what changed Veronica's mind about dating him again but he is not going to question his good fortune. True to her teasing comment as they left Cindy and Derek's home, they didn't watch a lot of the movie.

Today they went surfing and had a lot of fun. Veronica was excited to go again as she hadn't been since they broke up. The guys hadn't questioned Veronica's presence. The morning was interesting also because Luke came and brought Erica. It appears that their date went well the night before. Luke doesn't get to surf as much as he would like because of his commitments to baseball so it was nice to have him there.

What was clear is that Erica is not as athletic as Veronica. The guys had to grimace at some of the spectacular falls she took. She really did look like a drowned rat by the end of her first lesson. Not that Luke noticed though. He was excited to date a girl he liked who liked baseball and surfing and most importantly, understood his time constraints for dating.

Logan really enjoyed being back surfing with his friends and of course, with Veronica. She looked so hot in her wet suit and she is pretty athletic so had some pretty good runs. He was reminded about the differences between Veronica and other girls. She finished surfing before him and when he went to follow her in, she easily told him she brought a book to read and that she was happy visiting with Erica while he continued to surf.

He came back to the beach for a break and found that Erica had gone with Luke when he left. He asked her about it and she frowned at him and said, "I told her that we would take her home but she wanted to go home with Luke."

Logan can see that she doesn't get why Erica would be so set on riding the ten minutes to her house with Luke. He has to be at practice in an hour and he has to go home, change and have lunch before he leaves for practice. It is not like he can spend any more time with her. He is just going to take her home. As far as Veronica is concerned, Luke can spend the ten minutes he used to drive Erica home to kiss her goodbye at the beach. Then after he left she could stay and enjoy herself at the beach.

Logan, on the other hand, believes that Erica is one of those girlfriends who ignores her friends while she has a boyfriend. Luke is also one of those guys that likes his girlfriend to be there whenever he is free because baseball takes up so much of his time. Lilly and most 09ers would not tolerate their boyfriend ignoring them while they played even a school sanctioned sport much less when they are out somewhere together. If the 09ers girls come to the beach, the guys know that they won't get to surf for long because the girls will get upset they are being ignored.

Logan was ready to pack up and leave but Veronica encouraged him to go back out and surf telling him she was happy reading her book and relaxing. She didn't complain when he finally came in ready to be done for the morning. He found her listening to her iPod and reading a fiction novel. While he dried off and got something to drink, she happily told him about where she was in the book. She read mystery novels when she had free time and she loved to try and solve who did it before the writer revealed the answer. The 09er guys are impressed that Logan has such good control over Veronica but the truth is she is just independent and caring. She knows that his time over the holidays was difficult and that he could use the stress release he gets from surfing. Logan likes how dating Veronica is about both of them; it can be win/win for both of them.

Logan stops walking when he feels Veronica pull on his arm. They had gone back to his house because he forgot his wallet in his room. Looking down at her he is initially concerned until he sees the mischievous twinkle in her eye as she asks, "I was thinking about your offer."

His forehead wrinkles a little as he wonders about what offer she is talking about. She opens the closet door and explains, "I am now worried that I missed out on party games. Is your offer of showing me 'Seven minutes in heaven' still open?"

A huge smile crosses his face as he answers, "Absolutely." He puts his hand on her back and escorts her into the spacious closet. When he shuts the door he reaches down and pulls out his phone setting the alarm for seven minutes. He says, "There is an art to maximizing your time with a person you are attracted to in a closet with your classmates waiting on the other side of the door listening."

Smiling up at him she says, "Teach me everything."

He reaches for her pulling her into his arms and answers. "Anything for you Ronnie."

_At the Sheriff's Department_

Keith Mars is working in his office attempting to lessen the pile of paperwork on his desk. His intercom buzzes and he immediately answers. Deputy Leo who is new and relegated to answering the phone at times, tells him he has a call on line one from a man who only gave his name as Ian. He immediately thanks the young deputy and picks up the phone. Keith says, "Keith Mars."

"Junior,' is the quiet answer.

Expelling an audible breath, Keith comments, "Ian, it's been a while."

Although Keith can't see it, he can hear the smile in Ian's voice as he answers, "You'd see me more if you made it back to Seattle more often."

Smiling himself, the Sheriff comments, "You sound like Dad."

There is a pause and then Ian says, "We enjoyed seeing Veronica last week. She is an impressive young woman."

His voice full of love, Keith agrees, "She is." He pauses and then tells his surrogate uncle/long time friend, "She had a great time up there.'

"That is actually why I am calling," Ian shares meaningfully.

On alert Keith sits forward and comments, "I am hoping my seventeen year old daughter doesn't require the services of one of the most prominent lawyers in Seattle."

Ian pauses and then carefully explains, "No, of course not but my offer to pay for her college is still open. I see a bright future in law for her. She already is a champion at bargaining." He continues, "I accepted her usual retainer fee. They were delicious."

Smirking Keith says, "I didn't have a chance when her mother made them for me."

Laughing Ian agrees, "I see she hasn't lost that spark of trouble she had in her beautiful blue eyes as an infant. I know that someday I am going to be asked to pay up for all the retainers I have been given."

Keith laughs his agreement. He says, "You are right about that. She has always been a handful." He adds a little morosely, "She attracts the bad boys."

Ian holds in his mirth knowing that Keith had almost had a heart attack when she starting dating the star football quarterback when she was a freshman. Now she is dating the wild son of two popular actors. He knows Keith will not be happy about having his beloved daughter in the tabloids.

Ian asks, "Where is the blond spitfire today?"

Shaking his head Keith answers reluctantly, "Surfing with Logan."

"Ah yes," comes the teasing voice of the older man, "the father of her baby. I guess they are back together?"

Groaning the overprotective father says, "I am not sure." He adds quietly, "He is not what I would pick for her."

Ian has to remind his friend, "I remember a certain father who was unsure of letting his daughter date a young, brash police officer."

Keith understands Ian's point but he has real reservations about his daughter dating the rich, spoiled, problematic young man. He is brought back by Ian's voice saying, "I actually need to talk to you about him." There is a short pause when the lawyer adds, "In absolute secrecy."

There is a pause while both men gather their thoughts. Keith asks, "Did Veronica deliver the package I sent to you?"

"Yes," Ian answers easily.

Keith suggests, "Perhaps we should use number one."

Not surprised that Keith understands the purpose of the call, Ian answers, "That sounds good." He carries on, "I have to run. I just wanted to touch base and see how you are doing."

Keith says easily, "It was good to talk to you."

Ian adds, "You should make a trip up to see your father soon."

"I will," the younger man promises. He also suggests, "I will call you next time I am headed to Vegas and we can meet there."

Smiling Ian agrees, "That sounds like a plan."

They both say goodbye and sign off. Keith leans back in his chair wondering about Ian's involvement in his daughter and Logan's Echolls' lives. This call can only mean that something is up. Although Ian did not suggest it, Keith knows his father is somehow involved. Deep inside Keith knows this doesn't bode well. His father only involves Ian when the case has the potential to be problematic. Ian and his father are closer than brothers. Ian has the contacts and the means to make things happen often times outside the normal law enforcement/judicial pathway.

He sighs and looks back at his paperwork. He will call Ian tonight on one of the untraceable cell phones and he will know soon enough what is going on.

_At the Mars' Residence_

Logan walks with Veronica up the stairs to her home. He gently pulls on their joined hands, stopping her. She looks over at him and turns to face him. He is a step below her so their faces are almost level. The blonde looks over at him in question. They have had a great day together. They spent the morning at the beach surfing and generally having fun with their friends. Then they spent most of the afternoon together at Logan's mansion. They relaxed and watched a movie in the theater room after a great lunch. Mrs. Navarro outdid herself making a really delicious roast chicken with baby potatoes and asparagus. She sent the leftovers home with Veronica for her father so Veronica didn't have to cook tonight. Of course cuddling with a handsome, sexy guy while they watched a movie was a great way to spend the afternoon.

The tall 09er gently reaches up and brushes her soft hair back tucking it behind her ear as he gazes at her. He tentatively starts, "I want to ask you something."

"OK," she agrees, "I'm listening."

Meeting her gaze he says, "We had fun the last couple of days and now tomorrow we have to go back to school."

She nods encouragingly but doesn't comment.

He frowns at her a little exasperated at her deliberate obtuseness. She has to know that he is going to ask where their relationship stands. He has been open about wanting her back. Being Veronica, she is going to make him ask; make him sweat it out. He knows he deserves at least that but sometimes he wishes she wasn't such a ball buster. "I wanted to know where we stand." He waves between them.

She looks at him and says, "Is there a question somewhere in there?" She raises an eyebrow at him.

Logan has to smile at her challenging attitude. "Will you please give me another chance? Will you be my steady girl?"

She puts down her purse and the Tupperware containing the leftover chicken from lunch. Turning back she steps close to Logan remaining one step above him. Holding his gaze she takes his face in both her hands and clearly says, "I am not a forgiving type of person. I am still not happy about how you handled our relationship before Christmas."

When Logan opens his mouth to talk, she shakes her head and puts a finger over his lips silencing him. She continues "Part of me still feels like you broke the trust between us. You shouldn't have told me you wanted to deepen our relationship when you weren't completely sure."

Anticipating that he is going to explain that he thought he was sure, she shakes her head at him and says, "I accept you thought you were sure and that when you realized you weren't, you were honest with me." Her eyes cloud a little as she asks, "Why should I trust that you are sure now?"

"Veronica, I am so sorry that I hurt you. I never wanted that." He wraps his arms around her to hold her. He bends his head slightly so that their faces are on the same level when he explains, "I know you can't just accept my word that I am sure. I just want a chance to prove to you that I am. Please give me another chance; give us another chance."

She looks into his eyes and sees the sincerity. "OK," she agrees but quickly adds, "This is it though. If you change your mind again, we are done."

He can see that she is not 100% sure that getting back together with him is the right thing to do. Nodding his understanding he assures her, "I understand. You won't regret this Veronica. I can make you happy."

She sighs and reaches up to gently caress his forehead and then down to his cheek. She tells him, "The thing is Logan; I don't want or need you to make me happy." She adds meaningfully, "I don't think I can make you happy." When he frowns at her, she explains, "What I mean is you have to make yourself happy. We are not responsible to make other people happy."

When his frown doesn't clear, she steps closer, wraps her arms around him and hugs him to her. She tries a different tact, "I am working hard at school so I can get a scholarship to go to college. I will choose a career that I find fulfilling and interesting because I want to contribute to society. Whatever I do is going to take up a good portion of my life so I should love it." She sees he is listening and carries on, "I have a good family and friends that will be there for me and I will be there for them." Leaning up she gently kisses Logan and continues, "I hope to find a guy who loves me for me and I will love him for him. We will share our families and build one of our own. We can find things to do together like surf, travel, read and whatever else interests us and we can enjoy what time we have together."

Meeting his gaze she asks, "Do you understand what I am saying? I want to enjoy our time together plus the time we spend with friends and family but I have other things in my life and you do too. I can't make you happy and you can't make me happy. Everything added together will make us happy."

He looks at her and agrees, "I get it Veronica, I do. I just haven't thought about what makes me happy. I guess I just try and get through each day until I can leave my dad."

She nods in understanding and then suggests, "You have some good friends and you like to travel and surf. You are smart and can go to college or you probably have the money to start a business if you want."

He nods a little absently as he thinks about what she is saying. She adds, "Only you know what will make you happy. You have to think about that, set some goals and work towards them."

She surprises him by pronouncing "Your father is a sorry person and the worst father ever but in a year, he won't have control of you anymore."

Finally she puts her forehead to his and whispers, "Then you will have the rest of your life to do what you want and what makes you happy."

Logan touched leans in and kisses her. He has never had someone who is open about what his life is like and supports him; talks about the future.

Veronica wraps her arms around his neck and kisses him back. The kiss gets passionate and when they break apart, Veronica, a little breathless says, "I have to say though, this is a pretty good start to us getting back together."

A little breathless himself, Logan has to agree.

_Later that evening_

Keith Mars sits on a bench by the stairs to the beach. Under the guise of taking Back Up for his nightly constitutional, he took one of his prepaid cell phones and left Veronica doing dishes. Supper had been great. Leftovers from Mrs. Navarro's cooking are always better than anything they can make themselves.

He had been unhappy to hear that Veronica and Logan were back dating but he was not surprised. Although biased, he knows Veronica is beautiful, athletic, smart and very loving. He can see why the popular guys in the school want to date her and then once they start dating her, why they stay with her. He doesn't really understand what his daughter sees in this latest guy. She is not one to be influenced by looks or money or title. She loved both Josh and Victor for themselves and they both loved her. Logan Echolls is the only boy who ever broke his daughter's heart and for that, he can't really like him. For now though, he will have to cover his real feelings and see what happens between them. He will be watching the young man; he better not be using Veronica.

Keith dials the phone and waits for Ian to answer. To his surprise his father answers. Keith closes his eyes and says, "Hi Dad." This is going to be even worse than he thought. His father wants to talk to him privately about this matter. That can only mean one thing; they need his father to get him to agree to whatever they have planned.

Veronica is on the phone talking to Erica when Keith gets back in the house. He half listens to her tease her friend about her new boyfriend. They discuss what Erica is going to wear to school the next morning, if Luke is picking her up for school and if they will eat lunch together. Keith can discern that Logan is picking Veronica up for school and that they are officially back together so will eat lunch together.

When his daughter gets off her phone Keith calls out to her. She wanders into the living room where he is now sitting and bends down to pet her puppy before she sits down beside her father.

He puts his arm around her and she cuddles happily into his side. He starts, "So am I hearing that you and Logan have officially gotten back together?"

She knows her father has not been happy about her dating Logan. He is and has always been overprotective of her. She also understands that her father respects her decisions. The thing she admires about her father is that he is always willing to talk to her. She turns and little and looks at him as she answers, "Yes, we are dating again." Pausing she meets his gaze and says, "I was clear that this is his last chance with us."

Keith leans down and kisses her forehead and shares, "I don't like this one."

Smiling at his words she answers, 'I know dad but I really like him." Looking fondly at the man who has always been there for her she adds, "I am only seventeen. I am going to get good grades, get a scholarship and go to college. Dating Logan or dating any guy is not going to change that." Tapping the side of her head she teases, "I have my head on straight."

He smiles at her enjoying her manner. He tells her, "I know. I am very proud of you." In the comfortable silence he thinks about how to word what he wants to say finally settling on, "You know that I care about your mother, don't you?"

A little puzzled at the change in subject, Veronica waits patiently for her father to tell her what he is thinking about. "When I saw that her drinking was going to be a problem, I did what I could to help her."

Nodding her agreement she looks at her father and assures him, "I know Dad."

He reaches over and brushes the hair back from her forehead and admits, "I wanted to be there for her and support her but there came a time where her decisions were hurting our family."

Veronica can see he is upset but before she can let him know that she is not upset with him, he continues, "It was one of the hardest decisions I ever made but I had to think of you and I had to think of my needs as well."

Frowning Veronica is not sure what to say. Her father rarely talks about the time in their lives when her mother left. He brings her out of her thoughts by saying, "I gave her an ultimatum to get real help or leave. I hoped she would get the help but I thought she would choose to leave us."

Shaking his head as he talks he tells her how he could see how much her mother leaving hurt her and how she immediately thought it was because she wasn't a good enough daughter. "I was so angry with her for making you doubt what a special and loving daughter you are."

Touched she leans in and hugs him. He immediately wraps his arms around her and holds her close. She says, "I love you Dad."

"I love you too Veronica," he answers although his voice breaks a little. They are both content to sit and enjoy their time together. Keith ventures, "I want you to understand that sometimes we can't control the decisions the ones we love make and we have to make hard decisions." He leans back and takes her chin lifting it so he can look in her eyes. He says, "I need you to listen to your old man's advice and not be upset."

Nodding she agrees uncertainly, "OK."

"I have been a Sheriff and a police officer a long time. I have learned to see when someone has respect for the law and for rules and when someone doesn't." He carries on, "Logan does not have respect for the rules." When Veronica opens her mouth to defend her boyfriend, Keith interrupts and says, "I am not saying he is a bad kid. I am only asking that you keep your eyes open. I can see you are a Mars and you want to help him. Believe me, I get it."

Veronica's upset deflates as she realizes that her father does want to help people and he did try to help her mother.

Keith says, "All I want to know is that if Logan gets to a place where he is harming you, you will give him the ultimatum he needs for both your sakes."

"It won't come to that Dad but if it does, I will do what's right," she vows as she meets his concerned gaze.

He smiles lovingly at her and says, "That is all I ask."

Cuddling up to him she says, "You know you are the best dad ever right?"

He closes his eyes and hugs her back stating, "I must have done something right to be given such a wonderful daughter."

She smiles happily at his answer and nuzzles her face in his chest. She's glad he is proud of her but she thinks she is the lucky one. Her mother left and that hurt but her father loves her and is there for her.

They sit together enjoying the peace and comfort of their close relationship. Keith is thinking about what he has learned about Aaron Echolls tonight and how Logan's life is going to change in the next few weeks. He is deeply worried about the fallout from his father's and Ian's plan. He thinks about how Veronica wisely enlisted her grandfather's 'hypothetical' help and she already understands that sometimes the best way to get something done is not head on.

Veronica is thinking about how loved and protected she is and how alone and scared Logan has been. She wouldn't trade her life with her father for all the money and prestige in the world.

_Back to School_

The next morning Veronica bounces happily down the stairs and meets Logan at his vehicle. He smiles at her enthusiasm and gets out of his car to greet her. He comments, "Wow, you seem excited for school."

She smiles happily at his comment but says, "Pssshhh, I am excited to see my handsome, sexy boyfriend."

Pleased he says, "Well that is even better."

He catches her as she runs over to throw herself in his arms to hug him. Smiling he wraps his arms around her enjoying holding her. "This is how I like to start my mornings."

Tilting her head back to look up at him she purses her lips and informs him, "I like mine to start with a kiss."

Leaning down he shares, "That I can do."

Arriving at school, Logan confidently gets out of his car and goes around to open the door for Veronica. They both know that they will be the center for gossip initially but hopefully the other students will be more interested in finding out how everyone else's vacation went.

Veronica is secretly worried when she and Logan see Lilly arrive on the back of Weevil's motorcycle. The rumors were that Lilly fooled around on Logan with the leader of the bike gang. She steels herself for a jealous reaction and is happy that Logan's first reaction is to look relieved and comment, "Good, now we can slide under the radar." When Veronica looked at him in question he said, "What? Lilly loves being the center of attention."

He wraps his arm around her and they walk into the school together. He adds quietly in her ear, "Besides it will be nice to watch some other guy twist and try to keep her happy."

Veronica frowns at his comment. He shakes his head and shares, "I think Lil actually has feelings for him. Maybe he will be good for her." He seems to honestly hope that his ex-girlfriend will be happy. She hopes it is a sign that he is really ready to move on from his relationship with the billionaire's daughter.

As they walk down the hall ignoring the attention they are receiving he leans down and whispers teasingly in her ear, "If you are really good I will try and get us an invite to the 'Meet the Parent's' dinner at the Kane's."

She has to laugh at the idea of Weevil eating supper with Mr. and Mrs. Kane. She looks up at Logan her eyes sparkling and she says, "Ooooohhh. That does sound like fun."

He laughs back at her and leans down to give her a short kiss as they walk. She is relieved that Logan is OK with Lilly dating Weevil and is able to make jokes about the whole situation.

Logan's demeanor gets serious as he asks, "About meeting the parents…"

Veronica looks at him in question as they get to her locker. He continues, "Was your rush out to see me this morning an indicator that Papa Mars is not happy we are back dating?"

She shakes her head and answers, "No, he had to leave for work early this morning but just FYI; he will likely give you another 'don't hurt my daughter' speech."

Grimacing a little Logan admits, "I probably deserve that."

Smiling she teases, "Well just keep in mind that he is one of the best at giving lectures to teenage boys. It is always good to learn from the best so when you have a teenage daughter, you will know the best way to scare her dates."

Unsure whether to be amused or upset, he shares, "I am not sure I ever want to have children."

Smirking at him as she opens her locker she teases, "Oh you will."

Interested he asks, "Why are you so sure about that?"

"Well," she drawls, "It is the cosmos way of paying you back for how many fathers you have caused to have sleepless nights."

He smirks at her response and then is a little touched as she carries on, "Besides you will show Aaron Echolls that it is not genetics that makes you a good father; it is love and time."

She misses the expression of love that crosses his face as she is busy pulling out her schedule and commenting, "I am not sure that I like having all the boring classes in the afternoon this semester." She looks up at Logan and pouts, "I am tired after lunch and have more trouble concentrating then."

Logan dutifully looks down at her schedule and notes that she has a science, history and math in the afternoon. He asks, "Why has your schedule changed?"

As they walk towards Logan's locker, she explains that her AP World History teacher left and the new teacher they hired doesn't teach AP classes so she had to transfer. Frowning she says that it ended up causing her to transfer other classes as well.

Logan looks at her schedule and comments, "Hey, we have AP English and Journalism together."

Brightening she says, "Well that is good news except I am in journalism because I couldn't fit Photography into my schedule." She adds a little glumly, "My counselor says I will get to do photography in Journalism so I guess that is OK."

The tall 09er says, "Well I, for one, am happy I will get to see you in Journalism."

She asks as they walk, "What options are you taking this semester?"

Logan pulls his schedule out of his pocket and hands it to her. She looks it over and is interested to see that he is taking AP English and History this semester. Smiling she sees that his options are Journalism and Creative Writing both of which will help him get into college.

Looking up at him, she hands him back his schedule and flirts, "I find it so sexy when a guy plans to go to college."

He smiles genuinely at her and wraps his arm around her after he puts his schedule back in his pocket. He walks with her towards her first class and says, "That explains a lot actually."

When she looks at him in question he clarifies, "I never understood what you saw in Victor."

She makes a face at him and then wraps her arm around his waist making no further comment.


	27. Chapter 27

_Story so Far: AU. Veronica is not part of the Fab 4. Logan and Lilly are on an off period when Logan starts dating Veronica. What starts out as fun becomes serious after Logan tells Veronica he loves her. Before Christmas Lilly tells Logan she is ready to commit to just him and he is torn. When he tells Veronica he is unsure, she never wants to see him again. A conversation with his mother helps Logan realize it is really Veronica he wants and needs. Unfortunately she is set on getting over him. As only Logan can, he shows Veronica that he is ready to move past Lilly and they start to date again. The new semester starts with the LoVe couple going strong and Lilly is surprisingly dating Weevil._

_Somewhere in London_

Aaron sits in his comfortable leather chair in his million dollar trailer provided for him for this movie. He glares disdainfully over at his publicist who looks really uncomfortable. The popular actor knows he is an important, if not the most important client for Brian and his firm. Armed with the security of his position, he takes a slow drag of his expensive cigar and slowly blows out the smoke before he speaks. Finally he bites out, "Brian, what was so important that you had to fly here and I had to see you today?" His tone is clear that he is in control and does not appreciate the idea that his publicist thought he could dictate terms to him.

The middle-aged man runs his manicured hand through his thick dark hair that is artfully graying at the temples. His manner is slightly agitated and he looks around the trailer before he asks quietly, "Are we alone?"

A little impatient Aaron nods and answers, "Right now."

The agent knows that while his client is away from the States he often has a few women who come and see him on set and at his hotel. Relieved he puts his briefcase on the table and unlocks it. He starts, "I received this DVD in a plain unmarked envelope Monday morning.'

His hands shaking a little he pulls out the DVD in question and continues, "The man who handed it me only said, 'You have been served,' and then walked off. I have never seen him before." He pauses and then explains that he turned on his computer and watched it. While he is talking he opens his lap top and turns it on. When the lap top has booted up and is ready he loads the DVD.

Finally seeing that Aaron is growing frustrated he says, "You need to see it now." Turning the screen so his client can see, Brian Carr presses play.

_Back in Neptune_

Logan is a happy young man. His father was only in Neptune a few days when he got called on set early. He left the next morning for London. The best thing is he will not be home for months. In fact, barring an emergency, Aaron Echolls cannot come home for months. He is contractually obligated to stay in London until the shoot is over. He is, and Logan looked this up, over five thousand six hundred miles away. By the time he gets back to the United States, Logan will be seven blessed months closer to his dream date of leaving his father for good. After his eighteenth birthday, Logan will never have to see that bastard in person again. He won't have to talk to hi or listen to him spew his venom. He certainly won't have to get a belt and kneel in front of that sick, sorry human being. No more taking his whippings. In fact, if he avoids watching entertainment shows, reading any tabloids or going to any crap pile action movies, Logan won't even have to see him again.

Thank God his mother set up his trust fund when he was born. He will gain access to it on his eighteenth birthday. Originally he was headed to Mexico on that day. He can live a long time on ten million dollars there; enjoying the hot sun and rocking waves. Now he is going to go to college with Veronica. Although he doesn't really relish going to school for another four years, he has come to see that he should take some business and money management courses. He may never get a job but he doesn't want to be like his sister and mismanage his inheritance; running through the money in a few short years. He will never put himself in the position of having to ask his father for money; he can never give him back any power over him. Deeply worried about getting away and getting out of his father's control, Logan has planned how to get financial freedom which will lead to true physical freedom. The spoiled 09er has been given a large allowance since he was a teenager; it is important that the son of the famous Aaron Echolls looks and acts the part. He has been able to buy what he wants and get out money when he needs it. His father's accountants haven't so much as blinked at his cash withdrawals over the last few years. Logan doesn't use cash often. He normally pays with his credit card and tucks the cash away. Each time he withdraws money from the ATM, he secretly smiles because it is money he his going to use for his life away from Mr. Aaron 'No One Knows How Sick I Am' Echolls. Like the squirrel who hides nuts for the long cold winter, Logan has tucked away his money for that glorious day he is free. Funny enough it was Jake Kane who helped Logan get a safe deposit box. Logan had mentioned wanting to have somewhere to put valuables that no one but him could get access to. Although Jake did not believe that Logan had any real valuables, he had arranged for him to have a large box at the bank where Kane Enterprises has its accounts even though he is a minor. As his gift to Logan, he arranged to pay for the box until Logan turned eighteen. It was a weird gift for a thirteen year old to Jake's way of thinking but it made Logan happy so he, in turn, was happy to do it. And presto, just like that, Logan had a safe place to hide his valuables and his money. He had a start to his freedom.

His mother is staying in Neptune a month longer and then she is going to London as well. Although Logan loves his mother, it is hard to watch her drink and take her pills to get through each day. The surprising thing for Logan is how Veronica makes time to visit a few minutes with his mother every day. Sometimes it is on the telephone but most often his wonderful, caring, thoughtful, loving girlfriend is a master at making time for the important people in her life. She visits with his mother while he loads up their surfing equipment, before their tennis lessons, before their dates or she just suggests they drop in and visit her if she is home. In addition, at least twice a week they have supper with his mother. Logan can totally understand why his mother likes talking to Veronica and it is really good to see his two favorite girls get along so well. Veronica also takes his mother over to visit with Cynthia and Marie. His mother comes home happy from those visits. Veronica tells Logan that Cindy and Lynn have really hit it off. She confided in Logan that she is worried about Cindy and it is really good for her to have someone to talk to and to take her mind off her worries.

If that wasn't enough, Logan is thrilled at his relationship with Veronica. They have been back together a month now. Veronica is as busy as ever and this semester Logan is finding that he is busier with homework in his advanced classes, working on the newspaper and picking stocks in FBLA. He has also made arrangements to enter the creative writing contest in the poem and short story categories; without using his name of course.

Logan wanders over and sits next to his mother on the bench by the tennis courts at his mansion. He and Veronica are taking private tennis lessons twice a week and now the tennis pro from the country club is trying to coach Veronica on her serve. Lynn has decided to join them and it has been really fun having her there. Logan is a pretty decent player having had lessons from a young age. Veronica is new to the game and needs a lot of work on her form. Lynn is a skilled player going to the Country Club a couple of times a week to play.

Logan reaches down and gets his water taking a long drink as he watches Veronica practice throwing the ball in the air and stretching to reach it with her racquet as she is directed.

Lynn seeing where his attention is leans in and comments, "She is getting better."

Nodding his agreement, Logan agrees, "She is very athletic." He turns a little to look at his mother.

She looks fondly at the son whom she adores and questions, "Things seem to be going well between you and Veronica?"

A smile immediately lights up her beloved son's face and he agrees, "She's great!"

She leans in a little and shares, "I like her Logan."

"I like her too," he laughs.

The one time soap star looks appraisingly at her son and contemplates, "I think you might feel something more for her than mere fondness."

The young man looks at his mother and admits easily, "I love her."

Lynn is really pleased that her son is in a more stable, fulfilling relationship. Logan was always upset and getting in trouble when he dated Lilly Kane. He is calmer, more directed and seems happier now he is dating the Sheriff's daughter. Smiling she asks, "Have you told her yet?"

Immediately he shakes his head and states, "No, I just want to enjoy what we have now Mom." Meeting her gaze he explains, "I am trying to get my life straightened around." When he sees that she is interested he tells her that he is getting better grades and working towards making his application more appealing for the college admission boards. He stops for a few seconds while he thinks and then carries on, "I want to have direction in my life. I want to be stronger for me and for her."

Lynn is very touched that her son is so in love with the tiny blonde that he is trying to improve himself.

Logan reaches over and gently puts his hand over hers on the bench. He shares, "When we got back together I told her I would try to make her happy." He explains her philosophy of how you have to make yourself happy before you could truly share your life with someone. He admits, "I can really see her point. I have been getting good grades, surfing, working on the school paper and I have been writing." He thinks for a few seconds as he looks over at this girlfriend when the instructor gives her a positive clap. He looks back at his mother and continues, "I feel better about myself and I think I am a better person." He adds sincerely, "In turn, it makes me a better partner for Veronica."

Quietly Lynn tells him, "I am so proud of you Logan."

"Thanks," he tells her happy he is having a good talk with his mother.

They are interrupted by Veronica bouncing up and stopping in front of Logan. She looks at Lynn first and teases in an upper crust accent, "William says he is ready to work on your returns."

Lynn grimaces charmingly and bends down to pick up her racquet. She stands gracefully and walks over to where the impatient tennis pro is waiting.

Veronica laughs at Lynn's reaction and looks over at her boyfriend. He is looking up at her flushed face and messy hair. Although he is thinking about how hot she looks now, he merely compliments her, "You are getting better each lesson."

"Well," she comments, "I don't think I will be vying for a spot on the tennis team any time soon but I am having fun.'

Amused he suggests, "I hear that wearing a short tennis skirt can improve your game."

Smiling she returns, "Only if I am playing against a male opponent."

"Or the judges are male," he teases back.

Veronica sits down beside Logan and bends down to get her water. She uncaps the bottle and takes a long drink. Logan watches her. When she looks over at him she smiles and leans in to whisper, "William acts like he is doing us a big favor coaching us. Are you sure he is being paid?"

Logan smiles and leans the rest of the way in to kiss her. Regally he tells her, "He doesn't just teach anybody."

Amused Veronica leans up and gives her boyfriend a more intense kiss. When the kiss is done he whines, "I don't know what you are complaining about. He is way more demanding of me. You and mom give him the hair toss and the pouty face when he yells."

Grinning she points out, "You are just mad that he is immune to your charms."

Wrapping his arm around her he pulls her closer and says, "As long as you aren't."

Logan is pleasantly surprised with how much time he and Veronica are able to spend together. Veronica talked to her track coach and bargained for morning practice. She is running long distance even though the coach wanted her to be part of the relay team. The long distance team runs in the morning before school. That leaves her free to surf and have tennis lessons with Logan a few times per week after school. Logan helps with the newspaper on the days Veronica works at the Hut.

Logan is truly touched that she has made a concerted effort to spend more time with him. He in turn has made an effort to make things easier on her. He has Mrs. Navarro make supper for her a few times per week and their driver leaves it at the Sheriff's office for Keith to take home. If Keith is working late, he has something good to eat and Logan orders take out for Veronica when she gets home from work. Logan walks Back Up after he leaves newspaper club so she doesn't have to worry about her rambunctious pet while she is at work. Between dates with Logan, supper at the Echolls' and Mrs. Navarro sending dinners over, Veronica finds she rarely has to cook anymore. She has less grocery shopping to do as well. She is very grateful for Logan's thoughtfulness and for the free time to relax or study.

The young man has taken to visiting Marie, Cindy and Derek when he has free time. He has grown very fond of them all. Marie's latest blood work is no better but it isn't worse either so she isn't going to get another round of chemotherapy for at least another couple of weeks. He and Veronica aren't sure whether it is a relief or bad news but they are still both hoping for her to go back into remission. Logan likes to spoil Marie and Cindy. He sends them treats from their favorite restaurants, candy shop or ice cream store. They enjoy his visits when he is there with Veronica or without her. He is a very charming and entertaining guy.

On one of his visits he discovered that Marie likes to write. Now when he is over visiting he reads some of his stories or poems to her or they read some of her stories. Both of them have written since they were young and Marie is one of the few people who Logan has let hear his stories. The interesting thing is she has kept a diary since she was diagnosed with cancer. He feels privileged that she has allowed him to read it. She has a simple, straightforward way of getting her ideas across. The spoiled teen was deeply touched reading her thoughts, worries, wishes and her concerns about the people she loves. It came to him that if he was affected by her words, most people would be as well.

Equally as impressive, it turns out that Marie likes to draw as well. She showed Logan a couple of her drawing books from when she was little. Logan loves her dramatic way with color and proportion. Marie perks up when Logan is over visiting. Besides being very funny and attentive, he is a fellow writer and he is truly interested in her art. The last time his mother was over, she asked to see the pictures telling Marie that Logan told her about how vibrant and full of life they are. Marie was thrilled that the famous actress wanted to see them. Marie soon found that Lynn loves art and was genuinely happy to look at her pictures.

Logan talked to Casey about publishing her diary with her pictures. Interested, the publisher in training went over with Logan and read some of the diary and looked at her pictures. He immediately talked to Derek and Cindy about publishing her book. They were shocked but interested. Casey spent time reassuring Cindy that he would have her work with an editor. She merely had to gather Marie's pictures and make a time to show them to the editor. He also agreed to get someone to transcribe her diary. He offered them a contract where the proceeds would go to Marie's foundation. He went over the process of publishing with them and explained how since her story is only beginning it wouldn't be as much work to catch up to where they are and just continue sending her entries into her editor.

Logan, excited about the project, told Veronica that he is sure that it would be an important book for people who are diagnosed with cancer especially children and for others to read as well. He talked about how Casey is enthused about the idea and says he has a young editor who would be perfect for working with Cindy. Veronica listening to her boyfriend's idea and drive for the project felt a little choked at how loving and caring he can be. It is clear that he loves Marie, Cindy and Derek and it is touching how much he opens up when he is loved back. Marie adores Logan and they have bonded over their mutual love for writing. Even more astonishing is how much Lynn loves Marie's pictures. The wealthy actress has an extensive art collection and spends time talking to Marie about art when she visits. Marie gave her a drawing and Lynn was thrilled. She immediately had it framed and put it up in her den.

In addition Veronica and Marie's photography project did win a ribbon at the State Tournament. At present it has over two million views and rising every day. Local news stations across the country are doing stories on Bullying and many school districts are discussing having anti bullying components added to their curriculums. Veronica tells Logan that it was his comment that inspired her to make the video in the first place. He is touched that she would give him any credit when it was obviously her photography talent that inspired the whole thing. The pictures and song work perfectly together. It is an emotional but uplifting message.

Logan watches his mother work on her cross court returns for a few minutes. She has really good form. He turns his attention back to his girlfriend and asks, "Are you going to see Marie tonight?"

She nods and tells him, "We will probably finish our latest book tonight." She takes another drink of water and looks over at Lynn who is doing cross court returns. William is really giving Lynn a workout. Smirking a little, she looks over at Logan and asks, "What are you going to do?"

He easily tells her that he has some writing to do and he is going to get some more articles for his history paper.

Impressed she smiles teasingly, "Who are you and what have you done with Jackass Logan?"

"He is gone. This Logan is ready to move on," he tells her earnestly.

"Well," she says as she leans in to kiss him, "I really like this Logan."

Reassured he leans over to join in the kiss. They are interrupted when William calls Logan over to volley with his mother. Veronica giggles and asks, "Can we pick this up later?"

"Hell yes," is his answer as he lets go of her to pick up his racquet. He looks down at her when he stands and comments, "I will be by later to walk Back Up with you."

Her eyes darken a little and she answers, "Looking forward to it."

_Back in London_

Aaron watching the DVD feels the hair on the back of his neck rise. He can't believe this! Who found out? Who sent this? What do they want? This is his worst nightmare come true. He stands up agitated and shouts, "Who sent you this? Who made it?"

His agent is even more upset seeing how badly Aaron is taking the information. He answers, "I don't know. I don't even know what company delivered it."

Aaron paces a little and then in anger swipes the lap top off the table. His face darkens as he vows, "I am going to destroy whoever sent me this."

Brian Carr swallows and then rushes his answer, "How can we find out who sent it?"

Visibly upset Aaron looks at Brian and answers, "I know someone who can find out."

Nodding Brian tells him, "I'll help anyway I can."

Pacing a little as he thinks Aaron finally stops and says, "What do you think they want?"

Shrugging Brian says, "I would imagine money."

Frowning Aaron says, "This information can't be worth much. All it says is my old man was an abusive asshole." He looks out the window briefly and then says, "I didn't really think that information was out there. Hospitals didn't keep good records back then."

Assessing the damage Brian says, "It really won't hurt your reputation to be abused as a child. It will make all you accomplished even more impressive."

Although he looks angry on the outside, inside Aaron Echolls feels shaky. He does not want this information getting out; he absolutely will not allow himself to look weak to all his fans. Whoever made this took time, effort and a lot of skill. The ending was the most upsetting. There was patched footage from past news reports on him by famous entertainment reporters but they are adapted to be covering this story. There is television and newspaper stories with the focus on him and how his father physically abused him. This DVD is giving him a really clear idea of what the media are going to say. It is not good. Everyone will be talking about it. In all his future interviews he is going to be asked about being abused. He iwill be asked to give details about his abuse and his injuries. The reporters will question his feelings towards his father. Instead of getting his due as a rich, handsome, successful, famous movie star, he will be thought of as a victim. This cannot be allowed to happen.

Tentatively Brian asks with his hands making quotation marks, "What do they think they mean by 'You are going to like disc 2?'"

The sexiest man of the year glowers. He has a very good idea about what could be on disc 2. That information CANNOT get out; it would ruin his image as a good father, a devoted family man. Whoever sent this is telling him that they know his past. He is guessing that the next disc will talk about his present. If it follows the same pattern as this disc, it will show all of Logan's hospitalizations and then have news reports about how he is continuing the pattern of abuse in the Echolls' lineage. There won't be enough proof that he did it; Lynn and Logan won't talk and Trina will definitely defend him but the public perception will be that it was him. Aaron knows that the DA will never file charges against him and he won't spend any time in jail over disciplining his ungrateful, weak, spoiled son but the negative publicity would be truly harmful to his career and his public image would never recover. No whoever is doing this is just showing him how much they know and then they will ask for money. If it was anything else they would have just released the information to the press.

He thinks about it for a few minutes. His first thought was that Lynn or Logan did this but neither of them knows capable of pulling this in-depth expose off. Lynn would just file for divorce if she wanted money from him and he is never going to let her do that. Logan is too weak to plan and execute anything so elaborate.

Logan is dating the Sheriff's daughter. She would definitely tell her father if she knew and he is a man who cannot be bought. He would have to be ruined or threatened. No if it was Veronica or Sheriff Mars, charges would have been brought. This is someone else entirely. But who?

He looks at his publicist and says, "I'll handle it. If they send you another DVD, don't watch it, just express it over to me."

Brian Carr nods that he understands his instructions. He really doesn't want to know what Aaron Echolls is planning to do.

_In Seattle_

Ian calls the pre paid cell phone and waits for it to be answered. After a few rings Keith picks up and says briskly, "Universal Printing, how can I help you?"

Snorting Ian tells him, "Mars and Universe; too obvious."

Laughing Keith agrees, "Probably true."

Sobering Ian says quietly, "Disc 1 arrived today."

"Good," the Sheriff sighs. He asks, "Do you have an ETA for part 2?"

Easily the older man tells him, "Next week."

Keith says, "I am ready."

"Talk to you then," is the answer.

_Neptune High ..._

Logan walks into school the next morning. Veronica takes her own vehicle so she can run track before first period. He heads over towards her locker excited to see her even though he saw her last night when he went over to help her walk Back Up.

Veronica is looking in her locker. Her hair is slightly damp and it is flipped out. She looks cute. When Logan arrives beside her he says loudly, "There is my Sugarpuss."

She looks over at him incredulously and he has to laugh at her expression. The students standing around her locker smile at Logan's teasing. They are getting used to seeing him happy and know that Veronica has to put up with a lot from him.

Hugging her, he nuzzles her neck and whispers, "Good Morning. You smell good."

Obviously enjoying his affection she allows the neck caress and then turns to wraps her arms around his neck and properly greet him. Although Logan loves to tease her, the students around her locker see that she doesn't seem to mind; she looks happy to see him as well.

As they walk towards Logan's locker, they see Madison and Kim walking towards them. Madison makes a comment about how she doesn't run track because she doesn't want to look like Veronica the rest of the school day.

Logan stiffens a little but Veronica only smiles. She dramatically puts a hand over her heart and says loudly, "Madison and Kim. You poor things! I heard about your boyfriends breaking up with you." She adds sadly, "Now you are both alone and just before Valentine's Day."

Both girls look upset at Veronica's comments and Logan makes no attempt to hide his smile. He wraps his arm around Veronica's tiny waist and says, "That is why I love you. You are the sweetest thing!"

Leaning into her boyfriend she lifts her face for his kiss, the two 09er girls left behind and forgotten. He is happy to give her the kiss she is looking for. He forgets sometimes that she doesn't really need his protection; she can handle herself. That encounter was pretty funny.

Down the hall they see Meg walking towards them. They both smile at her. She looks happy. Veronica sees a difference in Meg. She whispers to Logan, "Meg looks very satisfied this morning."

Logan's eyes whip to her and he obviously bristles. He says, "Leo is too old for her. He better not have taken advantage of her."

Veronica starts to giggle and she teases, "Protective Logan is so attractive!"

Meg not privy to their conversation walks up and says, "Good morning."

Logan frowns a little at the possible reason for her tone but Veronica gives her a big smile back. Pulling away from Logan, Veronica steps forward and links her arm through Meg's and says, "I'll walk you to class."

Meg a little puzzled at Logan's unhappy manner looks at Veronica and agrees, "Great."

Logan immediately realizes that he is being left out. He frowns but continues dutifully on his way to his locker. He will grill Veronica or Meg later.

Veronica looks knowingly at Meg and teases quietly, "Some officer of the law Leo is, you are still jail bait."

The taller blonde's eyes widen as she takes in that her friend has guessed at the change in hers and Leo's relationship.

Still she tries, "I don't know what you mean."

"Please tell me that he made it good for you," Veronica worries a little when Meg doesn't admit to what is obvious.

Whispering Meg tells her friend, "How did you know?"

Veronica smiles easily, "You are glowing." They walk a few more steps and then Veronica asks, "Leo is quite experienced. Was he good to you?"

"Very good," Meg admits, he cheeks pink.

Veronica is actually happy for her friend. Leo is a really good guy. Although he is handsome and the girls chase him, he is one of those guys who have a lot of respect for women. She talked to him at the Christmas party and he is serious about Meg. Of course his family loves her and Veronica was really pleased to hear that Leo was all protective of Meg wanting to help her get her sisters away from her parents once she turns eighteen. The smaller blonde says, "Meg as long as it was your decision, that is good."

Meg nods and admits to her close friend, "I was ready."

Veronica smiles relieved and teases the obviously embarrassed girl, "I am happy that you and Leo are doing so well. However I think Logan is going to be upset and protective."

Grimacing a little at having to deal with a questioning Logan, Meg ventures, "Hopefully he won't notice."

Laughing at Meg's attitude, Veronica informs her, "He already knows."

When Meg looks a little panicked, Veronica giggles and points out, "He would have been OK with you having sex with Duncan. Besides he has no room to talk with his past record."

Meg looks a little relieved as she agrees, "You're right." Surprising Veronica Meg says a little spitefully, "I'm glad it was Leo though. I really doubt Duncan would have made it so perfect."

Smiling Veronica agrees, "That is probably true." A few seconds later the tiny blonde's smile disappears as a thought occurs to her. She pulls Meg to a private area of the classroom they entered. She leans in and whispers "Are you protected?"

Meg looks a little flustered and confesses quietly, "I can't ask my parents about seeing a doctor."

Veronica ensures that they cannot be overhead and then makes arrangements to talk to Meg alone later. She says, "Just condoms is not enough. We will have to fix this."

Before lunch Logan walks into Journalism. He is pleased that Veronica could not transfer into Photography like she wanted; although he does want her to have whatever she wants. The thing is she likes Journalism but she doesn't really want to spend extra time attending school functions and getting the pictures. Logan used his considerable charm to get Veronica assigned as the photographer to whatever story he was assigned to write. Since he writes a weekly article for the paper and has joined Newspaper Club, he has not been given very many school functions to cover. What functions he did get assigned, Veronica was there with him so he loved that. Veronica was so pleased that she didn't have to attend a lot of school functions and she liked that when she had to go she was able to go with Logan. To make up for not taking a lot of pictures for the school paper, Veronica sat in class and listened to the initial lecture and then she went and took pictures of students and faculty for the year book. It was another win/win situation for her. She got a guaranteed high grade, minimal after school work and extra time with Logan.

Logan looks around and sees that Veronica is waiting for him at their table. He smiles and walks over to sit with her. He loves how her face lights up with a smile especially for him. He loves how she gives him her full attention for a few seconds to see how he is doing. He loves how she is so smart and so quick-witted. Most of all he loves how although she can be manipulative, she doesn't play games with their relationship. She is clear that he is important to her and their relationship is a priority. The value she places on him and their relationship is truly wonderful for the young man who deep inside feels that he is not worthy of love; after all, if your parents and the girl you dated for almost four years don't care about your needs and feelings then obviously there is something wrong with you. Slowly though he is learning to trust that he is lovable, that he is worthy of love. If someone as wonderful as Veronica can care about him; can think he is important, then maybe, he can be.

He sits down beside her and leans in for a quick kiss. To his surprise, Veronica puts her hand up and holds his head close to hers. She gently nuzzles his nose with hers and then continues to kiss to his ear where she whispers, "Why do there have to be so many people around?"

Amused he stays close and answers, "I only see you."

Pleased, she rewards him with another quick kiss. Looking him in the eye she pouts cutely, "I don't feel like I have had quality Logan time lately. Can we do something about that tonight?"

"Absolutely," he immediately returns, "What did you have in mind?"

Slowly smiling, she lowers her voice and whispers, "Me, you…. A soak in your Jacuzzi and then we'll see what comes up after that."

His eyes darken as he meets her gaze and agrees, "That sounds perfect. I will get Mrs. Navarro to leave us supper."

"It's a date," she pronounces.

Just then Mrs. Dent shuts the door and walks to her desk to begin the lesson. Logan leans back in this chair with a smile on his face. Alone time with his girlfriend tonight; he is really looking forward to giving her some one on one attention. He is going to make her feel so loved tonight.

Unbeknownst to Logan, Veronica is having the same thoughts. Lynn left for LA to visit her agent and spend a few nights with one of her friends so they will be alone in the mansion after Mrs. Navarro goes home. Veronica really does want some time alone with her sexy, loving boyfriend tonight. She is going to show him that he is the man for her and that she definitely wants him and only him.

_In Seattle_

Ian sits next to his long time friend in the rowdy bar. They have been meeting here once a week for the last thirty years. A lot of cops come here and they have gotten used to seeing Ian there knowing that he is family to their chief. The game is on the TV, a few guys are playing pool or darts and generally police officers are relaxing, unwinding from the stressors of their shifts.

Keith Sr. during a break in the conversation leans over and says very quietly, "Junior tells me that Veronica and Logan are still dating."

Correctly reading his friend's tone Ian comments, "He's not really happy about this one either, is he?"

Smirking Keith Sr. intones, "Well no one is good enough for his precious, perfect daughter."

"To be fair this one has a lot of issues," Ian points out.

Nodding his agreement the police chief adds, "She loves him though. She was really worried about him even though she was hurt at their breakup." Shrugging he adds, "They have another year of high school and probably college to get through first; they are still very young."

Ian says meaningfully, "My friend says Disc 2 is ready to go whenever we want."

Looking around to make sure they won't be overheard, Keith Sr. shares, "His mother is going to London soon. It has to be a few weeks before she arrives."

Sighing Ian agrees, "Let's just get this done."

After a brief nod in agreement, Keith Sr. raises his glass to his friend and toasts, "Here's to plans that go well and young love."

Ian raises his glass and touches it to his best friend's. "Your lips to God's ears."

Their attention is taken by loud cheering over by the television. Finally the home team has scored to take the lead.


	28. Chapter 28

_Story so Far: AU. Veronica is not part of the Fab 4. Logan and Lilly are on an off period when Logan starts dating Veronica. What starts out as fun becomes serious after Logan tells Veronica he loves her. Before Christmas Lilly tells Logan she is ready to commit to just him and he is torn. When he tells Veronica he is unsure, she never wants to see him again. A conversation with his mother helps Logan realize it is really Veronica he wants and needs. Unfortunately she is set on getting over him. As only Logan can, he shows Veronica that he is ready to move past Lilly and they start to date again. The new semester starts with the LoVe couple going strong and Lilly is surprisingly dating Weevil. The plan to stop Aaron's abuse of Lynn and Logan starts._

Veronica waits patiently outside the main office. Thankfully one of her track team running mates is an office aide who agreed to secretly send a pass to Lilly Kane in seventh period. Veronica knows she can trust this girl to keep this upcoming meeting to herself. Looking up, Veronica sees the billionaire's daughter walking towards the office with her pass in her hand. Getting up Veronica walks down the hall towards Lilly and stops in front of her.

"Well if it isn't Logan's flavor of the month," the 09er starts.

Waving her comment off, Veronica quietly explains, "I had a friend call you to the office. I need to talk to you about something."

Lilly's face hardens and she sneers, "Thanks for getting me out of class but I don't have to talk to you." Giving Veronica a sarcastic wave she says, "See ya." She regally turns and starts walking away.

Sighing a little at the older girl's continued adversity, Veronica raises her voice a little and says to the older girl's departing figure, "I am concerned about Meg." As she hoped, Lilly's love for Meg overrides her dislike of talking to her adversary and the beautiful senior stops her exit and turns back.

Veronica waves towards the north hallway and says, "Mrs. Cartwright's classroom is empty right now." When Lilly pauses, Veronica points out, "Meg needs your help. Otherwise I wouldn't seek you out." The petite blonde walks towards the classroom not waiting to see if Lilly follows. She hopes she will but she can't really predict what the volatile female leader of the 09ers will do.

Walking into the classroom Veronica goes over and stands by the teacher's desk. Turning she sees that Lilly has indeed followed her in. After Lilly shuts the door she turns to Veronica and threatens, "This better really be about Meg."

When Veronica hesitates, Lilly's face gets angry. Veronica finally starts, "This is between us," she waves her hand between them and then finishes, "OK?"

Annoyed, Lilly demands impatiently, "Get to the point. What about Meg?"

Frowning back Veronica returns, "Look Meg told me in confidence and I need to know you will keep her secret."

"Fine," the 09er agrees and then puts her hand to her heart dramatically and vows is a breathless, girly voice, "I double cross my heart and hope to die if I tell." Waving her hand towards Veronica dropping the girly act she snaps, "What is it?"

Unconsciously Veronica steps a little closer. She explains that she guessed that Meg has had sex with Leo. She has a tiny smirk on her face as she adds, "She was glowing."

Lilly smiles and comments suggestively, "Ohhh, the pink virgin gave it up to her handsome, sexy policeman boyfriend."

Deciding she should get to the point while they are still talking civilly Veronica continues, "The thing is Meg is not on birth control. You know how strict her parents are." She sees immediately that Lilly does know about Meg's ultra religious parents. Waving her hand in the air, Veronica lowers her voice and explains, "I was thinking of taking her to the local clinic. She needs better protection."

Lilly looks at Veronica in question. She clearly doesn't know what Logan's girlfriend wants from her.

Veronica gets to the point, "I would go with her but I am concerned that paparazzi will see us and take my picture."

Sarcastically Lilly drawls, "I think everyone knows you aren't a virgin Ver-RON-a-ca."

Obviously exasperated, the tiny blonde tells her, "I am not worried about my reputation. I am worried that the headlines will reflect negatively on Logan." She pauses and adds a little tentatively, "And upset his father." At that moment Veronica gets the confirmation that Lilly Kane does know that Logan's father beats him. The older girl's eyes flash and she leans back against the desk behind her.

Hesitating a few seconds, Veronica finally takes a deep breath and admits her voice very quiet, "It didn't go well for Logan when the pictures of me in that body suit for Health class were published." Lilly looks down but Veronica sees that she can guess how Logan got punished for those pictures and articles. Veronica takes a deep breath pushing down her anger at the taller blonde to deal with later. She lets the breath out slowly and gets to her point, "Would you be able to take Meg to your doctor or something and make sure she is protected?"

"Yeah," she nods, "I'll take care of it."

Relieved that Meg can get an appointment with Lilly's doctor, Veronica leans back against the nearest desk and says, "Good, thanks."

Surprised that Veronica would be grateful, the spoiled 09er has to give it to Veronica. She obviously didn't want to talk to her but sucked it up because she cares about Meg. Softening a little Lilly tosses her hair behind her shoulder and says, "I will always take care of Meg."

Veronica meets her gaze and answers, "I know."

The taller blonde stands and walks to the door, opens it and leaves. Veronica stays leaning against the desk. She can't believe that Lilly and probably Duncan know that Logan gets whipped and they did nothing. Their father is a very powerful man. He could have done something. Maybe Logan could have been protected. Meg admitted to Veronica that she knows about Logan's home situation but she confided that her parents would not have done anything to stop Aaron: they believe parents have the right to control their children. Meg said that Logan insisted she not to tell anyone.

A thought enters Veronica's consciousness; she wonders if Mr. and Mrs. Kane do know about Logan's abuse but chose to do nothing. She can't fathom that but she is still blown away by Logan's assertion that throughout the years, many adults ranging from teachers to hospital workers to housekeepers did know and didn't do anything. The tiny blonde has not forgotten the name of the doctor that knew of Logan's abuse without reporting Aaron to the authorities. She is going to make him pay. She just has to make sure that her plan doesn't involve Logan; he has been hurt enough by this insect with a PHD license.

Young and idealistic, Veronica really wanted to do something. Her grandfather assured her that he would handle what needed to be done and then wisely gave her some ideas on how she could help Logan. He encouraged her to support Logan and Lynn explaining how emotional support is just as important as what he planned to do. Emotional support didn't sound as important but Veronica set her mind to do just that. One night shortly after they got back together, Veronica had crawled on top of Logan. He was lying on his stomach with his head resting on his folded arms, very relaxed after their passionate activities. She sat on his thighs and had leaned down and gently kissed all the scars on his back. At first Logan had tensed but eventually when she didn't ask any questions, he accepted her affection recognizing it as genuine. She hoped he understood that it was her way of accepting his scars as part of him and trying to replace the negative memories of his scars with better memories of her gentle, loving touch.

It made her so angry that Logan just soaked up the gentle touches she gave him; it was obvious that he had never had loving affection in his life. It made her angry at Lynn and now Lilly. Lilly knew about Logan's home life and still made him feel worthless in their relationship. Realistically Aaron is to blame for abusing Logan physically and verbally but so many other people contributed to his pain and deep need for acceptance and affection.

_The next day_

Walking into school Logan is looking for Meg. He was not able to talk to her alone yesterday after Veronica made her comment about why Meg might be glowing. Last night Meg was with Lilly and both of them blew Logan's calls off. Meg texted Logan she was busy with Lilly and his ex-girlfriend texted Logan that she has it handled and he can quit being overprotective.

Although he knows that Lilly will be there for Meg and Meg also can talk to Veronica, Logan can't help but feel protective of his sweet, sometimes innocent friend. He finds Meg walking towards her locker and catches up with her putting his arm around her directing her to an open classroom. He quickly shuts the door and turns to Meg. He sees that she is looking at him in surprise and question. Sighing he asks, "Is everything OK Meg?"

Partly disconcerted and partly touched, her gaze softens and she says, "Yes Logan, everything is OK." Assuming that Veronica has already talked to Logan she says, "Lilly took me to her doctor after school yesterday."

Immediately alarmed the tall 09er says, "A doctor? Are you hurt?"

Meg simultaneously realizes that Logan doesn't know why she had to see the doctor and that he is now very upset. Putting her hand on his arm to reassure him, she says, "I'm fine Logan." Taking a deep breath she tells him how Veronica guessed that she and Leo made love and how Veronica questioned whether she was on birth control. Short circuiting Logan's concern about her choice to have sex, Meg quietly confesses, "I have already been grilled by Veronica and Lilly. Leo didn't take advantage of me. I love him. I initiated it." She blushes and adds, "He was good to me."

Logan although still not happy about the situation is relieved that the experience was good for Meg and happy that Veronica and Lilly were looking after Meg. He relaxes back against a desk and asks, "Why did you go to Lilly's doctor?"

Biting her lip Meg tells Logan that apparently Veronica asked Lilly to take her to her doctor. She says, "You know, since my parents wouldn't agree for me to be on birth control." Unsure how to approach the subject she quietly and carefully explains how Veronica was worried about taking her to the free clinic in case her picture got taken and she and Logan were in the tabloids again.

Logan immediately catches on that his girlfriend is concerned for him. His heart swells that she doesn't want to do anything to give his father an excuse to whip him but she didn't want to leave her friend hanging. Nodding his understanding at what she is saying, he clarifies, "So Veronica talked to Lilly."

Smiling at his concern she reassures him, "Lilly said Veronica had her called out of Math and asked her to help me." Before Logan can say anything, Meg meets his worried gaze and explains, "Lilly said it was a civil conversation and she actually kind of admired Veronica for caring about me." She adds, "I talked to Veronica last night. You don't have anything to worry about." Meg steps up and hugs Logan and thanks him for being concerned about her. She says, "I am so lucky to have such caring friends."

Logan immediately hugs her back and says, "You can always come to me."

"I know Logan," she says resting her head on his chest for a moment listening to his heart beat. Leaning back she looks at him and adds, "You can always come to me too."

He smiles at her and agrees, "I know."

After his conversation with Meg, Logan walks down the hall looking for his amazing girlfriend. He can't believe that she talked to Lilly on Meg's behalf. Logan can imagine how difficult that conversation was. He sees her walking away from her locker towards her first class and for the second time that morning, he chases down a beautiful blonde girl. This time he wraps his arms around the girl in question and lifts her up smiling when she squeals in surprise. Exuberantly he carries her to the side of the hall, sets her down and turns her in his arms. Letting go of her arms, Logan cups her face in both his hands and leans down to kiss her.

Veronica immediately relaxed recognizing her boyfriend's touch and smell. However his kiss was so unexpectedly passionate that she forgot to hold onto her messenger bag and it slipped from her arm to the floor when her knees weakened and she sagged into his body. The students watching have varying reactions to seeing Logan pick up Veronica. The guys just laugh at the tiny blonde's surprised yell but the girls sigh with envy at the kiss. Most can't imagine how it would feel to be kissed and touched like that by any guy; much less by Logan Echolls.

When Logan breaks their kiss Veronica's eyes are closed and she is leaning into him. He lets go of her face and wraps his arms around her holding her closely. When she opens her eyes to look up at his handsome face, she looks a little dazed. Logan smirks a little pleased at her reaction to his kiss. He explains, "I just talked to Meg and she tells me that you got Lilly to take her to see her doctor."

Nodding Veronica finally finds her voice saying, "She doesn't need to be pregnant before she graduates from high school."

He gently reaches up and with his index finger caresses her cheek. Softly he says, "You are a good friend."

His tiny blonde girlfriend looks up at him in adoration. Reaching up she puts her hand behind his head and gently pulls his face closer to hers. Leaning up she whispers her breath teasing his ear, "You are an amazing kisser. I could stay in your arms all day."

Touched at her praise he teases, "I would be on board with that." He leans in, gently kisses her and then pulls away. Reaching down he picks up her messenger bag and holds it out to her.

Smiling happily at him Veronica shoulders her bag and takes Logan's hand when he offers it. Looking up at him she flirts, "Do you like my new shirt?"

The handsome teen looks down at her and sees her royal blue shirt has a large L and G on it in white. They are interlocked with a large circle around it. Wondering what LG stands for, he looks inquiringly at her.

Her expression changes slightly to playful as she tells him, "It actually means 'Life's Good' but to me it means, 'Logan's Girl'."

His eyes widen and he takes a sharp breath in. Lilly never wanted to be known as anyone's girl and he didn't want any of his interim girls to be known as his girl. The voice deep inside tells him that he is too damaged for her and she can do so much better. Selfishly he stays with her, hanging onto her as long as he can trying to believe that he is good for her too.

The scarred young man knows that his perfect, wonderful girlfriend wouldn't understand how different dating her is for him. Her everyday loving, caring manner is a wonder. He has come to completely understand why her father is so protective of her and why her friends are so loyal to her. He now gets why Josh and Victor went after her and then stayed with her. He will bet his hidden money that both of them would have tried to make a long distance relationship work with Veronica. He feels like he loves her more every day. He has so much to look forward to every day now because Veronica Mars is his girlfriend. Even more stunning to him is how obviously happy she is to be with him. She doesn't give him any reason to be jealous. She handles any guys who don't respect their relationship. And now today she is wearing a shirt to show him she is happy to be his girl. He leans down and gently kisses her temple and answers her, "I love the shirt." He adds in a lecherous tone, "I like what is under the shirt as well."

She laughs and leans into him as they walk together.

A few of the 09er guys walk by and notice the interaction between their leader and Veronica Mars. Although they tease Logan that he is the latest bad boy that has fallen under Veronica Mar's spell, they also like her a lot. She doesn't play a lot of mind games like a lot of girls do; what you see is what you get with Veronica. The best thing for them is how happy she makes Logan and how she is all about Logan. They were all at a club to celebrate Casey's birthday when a guy noticed Veronica and hit on her. She firmly rebuffed him and when he grabbed her, she took hold of his hand and twisted it forcing him to let go of her. Then she walked over to Luke, John and Derek who were nearest to her for safety. Logan was way across the dance floor and by the time he got there, the altercation was over. Luke escorting Veronica back to Logan had asked her about the arm twist she gave the guy and she easily told him her father made her take self-defense classes. When she spotted Logan her face lit up with a smile. She sweetly thanked Luke for helping her and raised her arms to her boyfriend for a hug and kiss.

For Logan that particular incident was when it really sunk home what dating Veronica meant. At that moment he understood what it was like to date someone who understood and accepted him. Seeing the guy grab Veronica had upset Logan but Veronica had deflated the situation and then had accepted his need to show possession of her to the other guys in the room. She had whispered soothingly in his ear, "There might be a time that I need defending from a guy who won't take no for an answer but that is not tonight. The guy took the hint and I will be very careful to avoid him." Meeting his gaze she adds her voice slightly teasing and mostly sultry, "I am quite shook up though and need your help to forget that unpleasant experience."

Amused despite the situation, Logan had pulled her even closer and leaned down to give her the kiss she asked for. His attention taken by her, he missed the looks from his 09er friends as they were expecting a more jealous reaction and perhaps retaliation against the idiot who touched her. The evening wasn't spoiled and full of the usual Logan/Lilly drama. In fact that was Veronica….although drama found her, she didn't seem to be looking for it. She was good for Logan.

Logan leaves Veronica at her first period class with a kiss and a wave and heads off to his class. Just another ordinary day. Veronica works tonight. He will work on the school paper, visit Marie and meet his girlfriend later. She is bringing him and his mother home a new pie from The Hut. Lilly would not understand his desire to be normal; he can imagine her disdain at the idea. The truth is he always envied Duncan and Meg's relationship even when he used to join Lilly in teasing them about how boring they were. The consistency is not something he has ever had and truthfully not something he even knew he missed. But now that he has the ordinary, consistent relationship with Veronica, he is truly contented. He is rarely in the tabloids and if he is, it is a more positive article.

Logan passes Lilly in the hallway and smiles at her. He is pleased when she gives him a little smile back. Their relationship is not close but the anger seems to have dissipated now on both their parts. He has been watching her relationship with the biker gang leader with interest. He thinks she really does care about him but she seems bent on sabotaging this relationship as well. There is something special about Lilly Kane because Weevil breaks it off with Lilly when he finds out she has not been faithful but then he later takes her back. Logan is a little surprised but very happy to find out that he doesn't feel any upset or jealousy when he sees Lilly with Weevil or actually any other guy for that matter. He never thought it was possible but he is now out of the clutches of one Lillian Kane and he couldn't be happier about it.

_Valentine's Dance_

Logan looks in the mirror with a critical eye. He checks ensuring that he looks good for his date with Veronica tonight. In his pocket is the necklace he bought for her. He hopes she likes it. He also ordered a dozen roses and a wrist corsage for Veronica. He is looking forward to the dance. Both he and Veronica love to dance but frankly this has been a tough week. On Tuesday, Marie's blood work showed she is not responding to the chemotherapy. The doctors admitted her to the hospital after her doctor's appointment and she was given blood to help build up her hemoglobin. Truthfully Marie looks like a ghost; she is so pale and there are dark circles under her eyes. Her skin is a grayish color. It is clear that she is a very ill young girl. Veronica and Logan were both upset by the news and visited Marie in the hospital once they were allowed. Derek and Cindy are both staying with her. The young couple stayed with Marie and gave Cindy a break to go home and rest for a few hours. Logan called his mother and she came to see Marie immediately. On the way home, the three of them were all saddened to see how sick Marie has gotten. The nurse star struck had explained that the doctor had talked to Derek and Cindy about taking Marie home and getting a hospice nurse to help look after her. They could see the sympathy on her face when she updated them on Marie's condition. The awful fact is they might have to face that Marie's time is growing short.

Both Veronica and Logan had not planned on going to the school dance. It seemed so pointless; so shallow. Marie was sent home from the hospital today and they had dropped over together to visit the family right after school.

Cindy had insisted that they go and have fun and come back and visit Marie the next day. She sadly told them that Marie was very tired and would rest. Meeting both their gazes she said, "Marie would want you to go. Take pictures to show her tomorrow."

Standing at his car outside Derek and Cindy's house, Veronica finally said, "You know I have a really cute new dress I have been dying to wear."

Logan smiles a little at her. He can see she is really upset about Marie but is trying to carry on.

She sees his lack of enthusiasm for the dance and explains, "Cindy told me that day she and Marie dressed up as Queen and Princess that I should try and enjoy this time in my life when I don't have a lot of responsibilities." Meeting his gaze she adds, "I could tell that she is feels overwhelmed at times with dealing with Marie and her cancer."

Logan nods he is listening and he does understand what Cindy means. It is just hard to enjoy yourself when in the back of your mind you have this deep worry that Marie is going to die. Everything else seems frivolous and silly. Pulling her close to hold her he says, "That is actually good advice, it's just…." He leaves the sentence unfinished.

"I know," his loving girlfriend agrees. He knows she is feeling some of the same things as him.

There is a long pause while they both hold each other getting reassurance and support. Finally Logan says, "Living with my father has taught me that I should enjoy the good things while they are there."

The tiny blonde pulls back a little and looks up at her boyfriend. She says, "It is a good lesson. The firefighters and the deputies know that bad things can happen quickly so you have to take advantage of the good times."

Their gazes hold and Logan decries, "OK, let's do this. I am always up for seeing you dressed up and dancing."

Forcing a smile she agrees, "I like seeing you in dress clothes as well."

Teasing a little he points out, "I like getting you out of the dress better though.'

Giggling a little she gently punches his arm in censure. He catches her fist and says, "What? I'm a horny teenager." He adds when she looks exasperated, "And you are hot."

He opens her door and pulls her hand to encourage her to get in. He says, "Before Marie got sick I booked dinner at The Towers for seven o'clock."

She looks over at him as she climbs in and says, "That sounds wonderful."

In London

Aaron Echolls arrives at his hotel after filming for the day is over. The movie is going well and Aaron feels confident that it is going to be another hit. Everything he touches turns to box office gold. He just has to make sure that his fans and the press are focused on his star power not his personal life. As he expected, the second DVD arrived. It did include information on Logan's abuse but it also had a section at the start outlining his past and current affairs. It is thorough and the voice over is clear that his days of being thought of as a good family man could be over. His reputation should the information on the DVDs get out will be as a womanizer and an abuser. The second DVD again ended with fake tabloid headlines, radio broadcasts and famous television entertainment reporters talking about the horrible way Aaron treated Lynn and Logan. Whoever used his past interviews to make this potential interview was skilled.

Aaron cannot believe what the demand is. There is no way it is happening. He will not allow some nameless person to dictate his life. Aaron dials the man he hired to find out who is behind the DVDs. He needs to know who is setting him up; whoever it is is going to be very sorry they took him on.

Leon Russell answers immediately. He knows his client is not going to like the answers or lack of answers he has for him. Leon had been busy checking out people who have grudges against Aaron Echolls. It is a very long list. There are a lot of powerful men whose wives and/or family members have slept with Aaron Echolls. They are a few who have filed paternity suits against him.

When Leon saw the second DVD, he was less sure whoever did this was someone with a grudge against Aaron Echolls. If someone really wanted to hurt his client, he or she would release the information to the public and ruin his image and derail his career instead of insisting that Aaron Echolls divorce his wife and not ask for custody of their son Logan. No it would seem that someone wanted to break up Aaron's family. Perhaps that is the point; perhaps forcing Aaron to accept a divorce is the punishment. By Aaron's negative reaction to the demand, perhaps the person who is doing this knows how much it would upset his client.

As instructed, Leon has also put a lot of manpower, time and effort into finding out who made the DVD. He soon realized that it was a dead end. Now a days it is not that difficult to find someone who can make this type of DVD although this one is of excellent quality. He has been unable to even get a whiff of who might be involved.

So he has focused on who could find out the depth of information present on the two DVDs. That list is not small either. Anyone working in or for any branch of law enforcement could find out the information. However as far as Leon can determine there have been no warrants issued for the information. He had concluded that the gathering of the information was not done through legal methods. Modern hospitals are computerized but of course, they were not when Aaron was abused. No whoever is gathering this information has a lot of resources. That narrows it down considerably but Leon has not been able to trace any one source of the information at the various health care facilities. They are owned by different companies, use different computer systems, different companies to store the information and it was different health care workers involved each time. He has been able to track how a lot of the information was obtained but not who obtained it. There are no pictures or even common descriptions of who obtained the information. The information obtained electronically has no trail of where the information went. This is a very professional job.

Following the money Leon has looked to who is going to benefit financially from the demand. The demand to keep the DVDs quiet is for Aaron to file for divorce from Lynn. He is to give her a seventy five million dollar settlement along with the house in Neptune, the apartment in LA, the apartment in Paris, her jewelry, her clothes, her art collection, her cars and 25 % of his movie residuals. He is also to let Logan go and live with his mother once they split up and he is not to request visitation. Logan is to be given a very generous monthly settlement until he turns 25 years old and then he is to get his grandfather's inheritance.

That considerably narrowed down the culprits. First, Leon checked out Lynn Echolls. She has not had any appointments or made any calls to anyone out of the ordinary. He checked all the normal private investigators in LA and Neptune. None of them has talked to Lynn or any of her close friends. He had no luck checking out her family and contacts either. None of them appears to be involved. He had a little better luck checking out Keith and Veronica Mars. Keith Mars Sr. is a police captain in Seattle. However he has not been checking out Aaron Echolls in any way. He has some contacts and close friends who could certainly pull off getting the information yet Leon can find no indication he has done so. He probably also has the resources to make the DVDs but he doesn't appear to have done so. Leon can't find any communication between Keith Sr., Keith Jr., and Veronica that is out of the ordinary. Keith Sr. talks to Veronica on the phone at least once a week. Leon listened to their last conversation and there was nothing out of the ordinary in it. He also listened to the last conversation between Keith Sr. and Jr. and it was also non descript. Although he did learn that Keith Mars is still not happy that his daughter is dating Logan Echolls. Their phone calls for the past few months have followed the same pattern. There is no indication that any of the Mars are in any way responsible for the DVDs or obtaining the information on the DVDs.

Keith Sr. and Keith Jr. both have friends in other fields of law enforcement. He painstakingly checked out their contacts and came up blank. No one from any law enforcement field seems to be making a case against Aaron Echolls. Leon is not sure if that is good or bad news. It is good that Aaron Echolls won't be immediately facing charges but if the second DVD gets out, some trigger happy DA may decide to press charges. It's unlikely they will stick being as it is Aaron Echolls who is involved but the hospital records and pictures would paint a very bad picture. On the other hand it is really bad news that whoever is going after Aaron Echolls has kept his or her reasons quiet. If that DVD gets out, the sexiest man of the year will not be making any more films. His career will essentially be over. Plus if either Lynn or Logan Echolls speaks out, it will be very bad for Aaron. He doesn't seem worried about that though and Leon cynically thinks it is because he holds the purse strings.

Keith Jr. is a Sheriff that would not hesitate to arrest Aaron Echolls if he had a reason to. He is a pretty good man by all accounts. Leon doesn't think that Keith Jr. or Veronica are involved. He also can't find any contact between Lynn Echolls and Sheriff Mars. If she did try and get his help, he would have arrested Aaron so Leon is inclined to think that the Mars family is not involved.

Leon is frustrated. He cannot find out who put the DVDs together, who got the information and the only people to benefit from the demand are Lynn and Logan Echolls. Neither of them has the resources to pull this off and neither has done anything different in the last few months to make Leon suspicious that they are planning something this detailed.

Right now he has no information as to who is setting Aaron Echolls up. The final question is going to be does he want the scandal of his own history of abuse, his infidelity to his wife and his son's frequent hospitalizations or does he want to allow Lynn Echolls to divorce him.

Aaron throws his glass across the hotel room watching as it smashing satisfyingly against the cream colored wall. What his idiot investigator doesn't know is that there was a prepaid cell phone included in the last package. Aaron is to call it before the deadline of one week if he doesn't want the information released to the press. He will find out what this person really wants and he will deal with him. There is no way he is going to have his reputation ruined and there is no way that he is going to divorce Lynn. She is not going to get any of his money. He worked hard for it. She and his weak son just spend it. Confidently Aaron picks up the cell phone and dials. He will handle this himself.

_Back in Neptune_

Logan holds Veronica close as they dance. Dinner had turned out very well. The food and atmosphere were excellent. Veronica loved the necklace he bought her. It actually made him love her more that she obviously didn't know the type of metal it was or the type of diamond. She knew it was expensive but had no idea how much he paid. Lilly and the other 09er girls are a lot more discerning than Veronica about jewelry. Veronica just appreciated that he had it made for her.

She surprised him by framing two pictures for him. One was of Veronica and his mother sitting together on the couch. It was obviously posed. They were both wearing black simple dresses. He remembers they went to a local theater performance together. Veronica must have set her camera to take the picture before they left. The second picture was of Logan and Veronica standing together after surfing. They were both wearing wet suits. Veronica's hair was in adorable pigtails and they were both holding their boards and laughing together. Although they weren't touching, they were standing closely. It wasn't a posed picture as such but their relationship is clear. Logan absolutely loved both pictures. One of his girls and one of him and his surfer girl. They were both framed in masculine leather frames.

Looking up at Logan Veronica pulls her hand from around his neck and gently fingers her necklace. She meets his gaze and says, "I love my necklace."

"Good," he smiles and adds sincerely, "I love my pictures."

Her gaze is a little coy when she says, "I bought myself a present as well."

Puzzled he asks, "What did you buy yourself?"

Now smirking she leans closer and whispers, "I am wearing it under my dress."

Immediately catching on, he says, "Well it sounds like it might be a gift we both could enjoy."

Faking puzzlement she says, "Do you really think so?"

Nodding solemnly he says, "I really do."

"Well," she frowns adorably, "I don't want to be selfish." Putting her arm back around his neck she leans into her sexy man and cutely offers, "I guess I could lend it to you to wear if you want."

Truly amused at her manner his focus remains on her. He quickly counter offers, "How about I look at it on you and see if I am interested in borrowing it."

Channeling her inner blonde cheerleader she offers helpfully, "I could model it for you."

"An excellent idea," he enthuses, "There is a big mirror in my bedroom we would use to show it from all angles."

Meeting his gaze she smiles slowly conceding he is a match for her in the wit department. She tries another tact, "You know we both came here to have fun, dance and spend time with our friends."

Logan nods wondering a little where she was going with this.

Pouting up at him she asks, "Do you think we have spent enough time tonight with our friends?"

"I do," he answers immediately eliciting a happy smile from his girlfriend. He looks around at their friends. Luke and Erica are dancing. Cassidy and Mac are sitting with some of Cassidy's film study friends. He sees Duncan has now selected a sophomore whose name has escaped Logan's memory to sit with. Leo had come to the dance for a while but he and Meg have now left. Lilly had not come to the dance at all and Logan hoped that she wasn't getting into too much trouble. Dick and John both came with new girlfriends leaving Madison and Pam out in the cold. "I really do," he concludes. For once, Logan was not part of the drama. He was there with his girlfriend partaking of the high school tradition.

Pretending to think hard, she points out, "Well we have two choices now. You can dance me over to the door and we can sneak out or I could slap your face, run out and you could chase me."

Laughing at her he says, "I will dance you to the door my sweet."

Shrugging she says, "OK, but the other way would be quicker."

Leaning in he nuzzles her temple and down her cheek as he dances her towards the exit. He whispers, "I really like being the couple out of the limelight."

Veronica questions, "You aren't bored yet?"

Seeing that she is a little concerned about how quiet their relationship is, he reassures her, "Ronnie, our relationship is the best thing in my life. I wake up happy each morning knowing that I am the lucky guy who gets to date Veronica Mars."

Deeply touched she leans up and gently bites his earlobe, "In a few short minutes I am going to show you how much I like being Logan's Girl."

"Fuck it," he says reaching down picking her up bridal style. She laughs as he carries her out of the gymnasium.


	29. Chapter 29

_Story so Far: AU. Veronica is not part of the Fab 4. Logan and Lilly are on an off period when Logan starts dating Veronica. What starts out as fun becomes serious after Logan tells Veronica he loves her. Before Christmas Lilly tells Logan she is ready to commit to just him and he is torn. When he tells Veronica he is unsure, she never wants to see him again. A conversation with his mother helps Logan realize it is really Veronica he wants and needs. Unfortunately she is set on getting over him. As only Logan can, he shows Veronica that he is ready to move past Lilly and they start to date again. The new semester starts with the LoVe couple going strong and Lilly is surprisingly dating Weevil. The plan to stop Aaron's abuse of Lynn and Logan starts._

_In London_

Late at night, after his work is done for the day, Aaron Echolls depresses the pre programmed number on the cell phone he was sent. He is confident he can make a deal with whoever is threatening him. In his experience if he can't dazzle the person with his movie star status, he can buy them off. Taking control of the conversations from the start he asks, "Let's skip all the formalities and get to the point. What do you really want?"

Ian internally sighs as he speaks through the voice distorter. Of course it would be too much to expect that Aaron Echolls would just follow instructions. It is always the same with men who believe the rules don't apply to them. "Mr. Echolls, I was very clear on what you need to do to prevent the two DVDs from going public."

_In Neptune_

Logan and Veronica sit at Derek's and Cindy's kitchen table. Veronica, with tears in her eyes, asks, "There isn't anything more we can do?"

Logan reaches over and takes her hand. He knows how she feels. It just doesn't seem possible that the sweet, wonderful, innocent girl sleeping in her bedroom down the hall is dying.

Cindy doesn't know what to say to make it better for the young girl who is so obviously upset. Veronica thinks of Marie as her sister and she has hoped for Marie to beat the cancer. Cindy is hurting so badly herself that she doesn't know how to make it better for Veronica. She hasn't been able to make anything better for anyone. Marie is dying and her life is falling apart.

Derek looks like he doesn't know what to say or do. He looks like he is barely holding on but the tries to explain, "The doctors were clear. The cancer is not responding to the medicine. The cancer is taking over." He pauses and adds, "Now the best thing we can do for her is bring her home and make her comfortable."

Veronica bites her lip and more tears spring to her eyes. She says, "No, it isn't fair. Marie is only ten. She hasn't done anything wrong." Upset she stands and looks like she wants to run. Cindy stands and reaches over hugging the upset girl. Veronica seems to deflate. She starts to cry and she says, "No, Cindy, no."

Cindy wraps her arms around the upset teen and they both cry. Logan watching his girlfriend's upset feels the tears prick behind his eyes. He wants to hug her and comfort her but he doesn't know if he can. He is hurting that Marie is so very sick. On the outside he looks upset but calm. Inside he wants to smash something. He looks over and sees the pain in Derek's face. Logan can't imagine what Derek and Cindy are feeling. How do you cope with losing your child?

It breaks Derek's heart to see Veronica's reaction to the news. She loves Marie so much and she is hurting so badly that her 'little sister' is going to die. Derek sees his wife hug the sweet teen sees them try and comfort each other. His gaze goes over to Logan's white face. Logan looks sick. He is trying not to cry and trying to hold things together for himself and Veronica.

The doorbell rings and Derek goes to answer it. Logan hears Keith and the Chief's voices as they greet Derek and they walk together towards the kitchen. Keith walking into the kitchen sees his daughter hugging Cynthia and they are both crying. He immediately goes over to his daughter. She says, "Daddy." It is all she has to say. She wants him to make things better. She knows he can't. He says, "I'm sorry kiddo."

She leaves Cindy's embrace and goes into her father's arms. He wraps an arm around her and reaches over with his other arm to pull Cindy to him. Surprisingly Cindy leans into Keith and wraps her arms around him as well. It appears that a girl is never too old to be hugged.

Logan feels a hand on his shoulder and looks back to see the Fire Chief's sad gaze. He gives him a nod and attempts a weak smile. The Chief reassured that Logan is holding up, looks over at Derek and says, "I heard that I could get a good cup of coffee here."

Cindy pulls a little away from Keith and answers, "You can." She wipes her eyes and steps over to the coffee pot to pour the man she respects as a father a cup.

Chief goes over to help her get his cup and a cup for Keith. He teases, "None of those girly flavors Cindy. They upset Keith's stomach."

Derek gives a short laugh.

They all hear a weak voice calling, "Chief?"

The Chief immediately turns and heads down the hall to talk to Marie. His loud voice apparently woke her. They all listen as the Chief says, "There is my beautiful girl!"

Keith takes his cup of coffee from Cindy and sets it on the table. He encourages Veronica to sit between him and Logan. Keith thanks Cindy and settles in his chair. He asks, "How is Marie today?"

Derek looks at his friend and shakes his head. He starts to talk about how the hospice nurse came and what she said about medications for pain and ways that they could keep Marie comfortable. Cindy adds things she remembered the nurse said and what the doctor told them.

Keith asks the question that both Veronica and Logan were thinking but didn't know how to ask, "I know no one can really predict but how long did the doctor say Marie might have?"

Cindy looks down and Derek reaches over and takes her hand in his as he answers, "A couple of weeks or so." He swallows visibly and explains, "Her body was starting to shut down in the hospital."

In a pause in the conversation Keith quietly tells them, "You are not alone. There are a lot of people who love you and want to help. What can we do for you?"

Cindy starts to cry and she chokes out, "She doesn't even want to eat anymore. The nurse says that is normal for how sick she is."

Veronica makes a little snorting noise. Logan hearing it looks over at her and sees she is trying really hard to get control of her emotions. He wraps his arm around her shoulder and says, "Ronnie, Mrs. Navarro says she has something for me to pick up. Did you want to come with me to get it?"

She looks at Logan and nods. He stands and helps her stand. He reassures her, "We won't be long and we can take our turn seeing Marie."

Not trusting herself to speak, she reaches over to get her purse. They tell everyone goodbye and Logan walks Veronica out the front door.

The adults watch as Logan takes Veronica away. Keith is torn about going with them but knows his place right now is here supporting Derek and Cindy. He can talk to Veronica later. Derek comments, "When I first met Logan I didn't think he was a good match for Veronica."

Keith meets Derek's gaze and nods. He had felt the same thing. The spoiled, rich son of two actors did not seem like someone Veronica would choose to date. "Since they got back together, he has impressed me," the overprotective father admits.

Derek agrees, "Me too. He has been really good with Marie."

Cindy points out, "He is different once you get to know him."

Keith thinking about the horrific abuse Logan has endured, agrees, "There is more to him than I first thought." He pauses and adds, "I will be watching him though."

The young parents smile at Keith's tone. Derek looks towards Marie's bedroom and thinks about how he won't get to worry about the guys Marie dates. He blinks a few times to try and clear the tears.

Logan and Veronica are both very quiet until they get into the car. Logan holds her hand and gently assists her into the passenger side of his Xterra. He walks around the truck and looks at the house before he gets in. He has that unsettled feeling deep inside. He is really not sure what he should be doing to support Veronica. Logan takes another deep in a wain attempt to release the tension inside him. He reaches over and starts the car.

Veronica chokes out, "Does Mrs. Navarro really have something for us to pick up?"

"Well she did cook supper but she was going to get our driver to bring it over. I just thought we could use a few minutes away so I texted her I would come and get it," her boyfriend explains.

Nodding gratefully she reaches over and rubs his arm, "Thanks."

Logan immediately takes her hand after he puts his vehicle in drive. He heads towards the beach. They both need a few minutes to decompress.

_Back in London_

"So you are just a good Samaritan who is rescuing an abused wife and son?" the famous actor spits out angrily.

Speaking calmly without emotion Ian asks, "Have you made your decision?"

Upset Aaron spits out, "Let's just cut to the chase. How much do you want?"

"You are wasting my time Mr. Echolls." Ian points out.

The popular actor offers, "I can pay more than Lynn. How much will it take for you to go away?"

Careful not to let any emotions show, Ian says, "Call me when you make your decision. Remember that unless you agree to the terms outlined, the DVDs will be released just in time for the weekend papers and entertainment shows." Ian hangs up and looks over at his friend. He answers his unasked question, "He thinks we are working for Lynn."

Shaking his head Keith Sr. says, "He doesn't know. He is guessing. His investigator has not gotten close."

"The sad thing is he has probably been through this quite a few times before. He has always been able to get out of paying any consequences." Ian points out.

Nodding Keith Sr. agrees, "A lot of people knew or suspected." There is a comfortable silence between the two men. It's a silence born of experience. Neither man has any illusions left as to what abusive men will do.

Sighing Ian points out the obvious, "He is going to require another push. He doesn't believe anyone would go against him."'

Keith Sr. says, "I figured."

Ian goes back to looking at the chess board. He would really like to make sure that Aaron goes to jail but he knows the likelihood of that happening is very slim. It had been hard to convince Keith Jr. to just step aside instead of arresting the bastard. They will all have to settle for getting Lynn and Logan Echolls away from the monster. Hopefully they will both be able to heal and be free. It is the best they can hope for.

_At Derek and Cindy's Home_

Keith, after Veronica and Logan leave, looks back at Derek and Cindy. He asks, "What is the plan for the next few days?"

Cindy tells Keith that her parents and two sisters are coming tomorrow and Derek's mother is going to come as well. Keith nods as Derek's father died when he was young and his mother hasn't remarried. Derek adds, "My brother and his wife are coming on Friday."

"We have a spare room at our house," Keith offers. The Chief walking into the room says, "Joe is going to book hotel rooms for anyone that needs one." He looks at Keith and tells him, "Marie wants you to read to her."

Nodding Keith gets up and goes to go and talk to Marie. He can see by the Chief's face that he is really upset by how sick Marie looks. When the money started pouring in to help Marie and her family, a brother of one of the firefighters offered to keep the books and pay the bills. Derek has been really relieved not to have to deal with everything. Joe Baines has turned out to be a gem. He is keeping everything in order and really making things easier for Derek and Cindy. They are a big family and they are closing ranks on Derek, Cindy and Marie. Derek's shifts will all be covered, the bills will all be paid, the yard work will be done, any errands will be run and food will pour in from the families now. Nothing can really make this time better but Derek and Cindy will have support now and afterwards. The whole family is hurting about Marie. They will all take turns breaking down; they will all be there for each other; they will all go through it together.

The Chief talks comfortably with Derek and Cindy for a few minutes. He tells them what the Sheriff's Department and Fire Department have planned to help. His manner is calm and caring and both young parents soak up his support and love. It is clear that he approves of how well they are both handling things and he is going to be there for them. He doesn't give them any platitudes. He doesn't tell them they will be OK. He doesn't tell them anything. He is just there and he is just the Chief. After a few minutes he takes a sip of his coffee and points out, "It's too quiet in here. Marie has told me about her favorite group. I told her I would listen to their latest CD."

Derek and Cindy both immediately realize that their daughter manipulated the Chief into listening to a boy band. Derek gets up and says, "I'll go and get it."

The Chief seeing their amusement frowns a little in question at Cindy. She smirks a little and says in a breathless girl voice, "You are going to love them. Adam is so dreamy."

Resigning himself to his fate the Chief questions, "Do you have anything to put in this coffee?"

Now laughing Cindy shakes her head and says, "I need to go and find my camera."

When Derek returns he is looking at the back of the CD package. He says, "It is only 55 minutes long." The Chief looks a little horrified and Derek can't hide his smile. He is so grateful that he gets to work for this man. As Derek puts the CD in the player in the kitchen, Cindy arrives back from filming Keith reading to Marie and turns the camera on Derek and the Chief.

In Marie's bedroom, the little girl has a tiny smile on her face as she hears the start of the music. Keith seeing it guesses, "You got the Chief to agree to listen to your music, didn't you?"

She nods weakly. Her eyes have dark circles under them but he can't help but respond to the little sparkle he sees in her beautiful blue eyes.

Keith whispers conspiratorially, "Do you want to see his reaction?" When she nods, he gently picks her up quilt and all and carries her into the doorway of the kitchen. When they arrive, the Chief is looking truly taken a back. Marie's smile grows a little when she sees his reaction.

Everyone smiles when they see Keith arrive with Marie. Keith carries her and gently hands her to her father. He cuddles her close and Keith says, "We would be remiss in letting a beautiful woman just stand when there is music playing." He puts his hand out for Cindy who smiles at him and puts down her camera accepting Keith's offer to dance.

The rest of them are highly impressed but mostly amused at the scene in front of them. Keith is a very good dancer having attended a lot of functions for the Sheriff's Department over the years. However once Cindy starts to teach him some of the new moves, it gets a little awkward and well… sad.

Veronica and Logan arrive back just in time to see Cindy teaching Keith some dance moves. Derek and the Chief are openly laughing at the scene. The teens exchange looks of surprise both immediately guessing that Marie has chosen the music. Veronica smiles at Marie. Logan puts the tray of tamales on the counter and immediately gets Veronica to dance. Marie is thrilled and weakly claps.

In his arrogant yet fun way, Logan challenges Keith to a dance contest and it is on. Keith changes the music to older music and Logan and Veronica move the dining room table out onto the patio so they can use the dining room and living room for more space.

Keith is busy calling Logan a punk kid and telling him that he can dance circles around him. Veronica is laughing hard at their antics and the chief says, "Marie come and sit with me, I think your dad should film this."

Marie smiles and nods. Derek stands and carries Marie handing her gently to the Chief who turns his chair and says loudly, "Marie and I will be the judges."

Logan, in fine form, turns to the chief and shares, "I am not certain you are qualified to be a dance judge but I trust Marie to be able to pick out the best dance moves."

Marie smiles a little at his teasing and settles comfortably in the Chief's strong arms.

The dance contest starts with a moderately slow dance but moves quickly into faster dances as Derek changes the music. Logan having lessons from very young is a smooth dancer moving easily to the music. Veronica has no difficulty following him and she is giggling at some of the turns and spins Logan performs. Keith and Cindy are definitely holding their own though.

Marie is very amused by the impromptu contest. After a couple of songs Derek puts the camera down and says loudly, "I think I better step up and represent the Firefighters."

He puts his hand out for his wife and says, "May I have the pleasure of this dance?" Cindy smiles over at her husband and answers, "You may."

Logan dancing by Marie intones, "We are in trouble Ronnie. They are bringing in the big guns now."

Marie smiles and the Chief laughs at Logan's comment.

Derek looks down at his wife and says, "Well Beautiful, should we show them how it is done?"

She smiles a little tearfully up at him and agrees, "We should."

Marie is obviously thrilled to watch her parents dance together. She gets a little teary as she watches and the rest of the room is touched at her emotions. Veronica leans up and gently kisses Logan and then turns to her father. She puts her arms out to him and says, "Dance with me?"

Logan easily steps aside and picks up the video camera. This is definitely a scene to remember. Although the circumstances are the worst, it is tolerable with love.

Keith takes his beloved daughter into his arms and they dance together. After a minute or so she says quietly, "Remember how I used to stand on your feet when we danced?"

He smiles lovingly down at her and answer, "I'll never forget."

After the dance is over, Logan easily admits he was out danced and makes a fake bow to Derek. Although in his own arrogant way, he does point out that Cindy can make any guy look good.

Cindy smiles at Logan's praise. Derek looks down at his wife and admits that truer words were never spoken. Cindy hugs her husband pleased at his praise. She sniffs the air and then asks, "Is that tamales I smell?"

The group works together to serve the tamales. The dining room table is brought back and set for dinner. Marie is settled onto the couch in the living room. They are all saddened that she can't even be tempted with Mrs. Navarro's tamales. She always loved them.

Veronica looks at Marie and determines, "you know what we should have?'

Marie looks weakly at her big sister and shakes her head.

"Ice cream for dinner," Veronica pronounces. The group smiles and Marie gives a tiny nod of assent. She and Veronica often had ice cream together. Keith is making token protests to his daughter that CPS will take her away from him because she is not eating a healthy dinner. Veronica pushes his protests aside assuring him she will tell them they had pot roast with vegetables. The group in the kitchen are amused at the talk between father and daughter. Keith is getting his story straight with Veronica asking what vegetables they had with the roasted potatoes. She is insistent on baby carrots and peas while Keith feels like broccoli or green beans would make a better impression.

The group watches as Logan, on board with Veronica's plan, helps her get a big dish full of ice cream and toppings. They work easily together and Keith has to smile a little as Logan automatically puts Veronica's favorite toppings on without asking her. He is a guy who pays attention to her likes and dislikes.

Veronica takes her dish into the living room and crawls up on the couch with Marie. Marie turns slightly and the two girls talk quietly and share the ice cream. Marie doesn't take many bites but it is clear that she likes her talk with the petite teen.

Logan watching his girlfriend closely can see her upset but he is so proud of how caring and loving she is with her little sister. He sees her pull out her phone to show Marie the pictures of the dance.

On the beach Veronica had cried and Logan had just held her. It was weird but Veronica was focused on how painful it was to see everyone hurting. Logan was mostly angry. Why were there people like his father in the world who would probably live to a hundred while sweet little Marie who never hurt anyone is dying? Marie wasn't going to get to grow up. She hardly got to live yet. The whole situation just reinforced to Logan what was wrong with the world. He held Veronica and listened to her talk about how much pain Cindy and Derek were in and how it was so unbelievable that Marie was dying. His loving girlfriend was still in shock and a little denial. Logan guesses he is more cynical; he is not surprised at the unfairness of the universe.

Logan steps into the living room with his plate of tamales. He selects a chair close to the couch and settles down easily. He teases Marie, "I rocked that tux, didn't I?"

Marie makes a face at Logan's ego and Veronica laughs. She leans in closer to her little sister and whispers, "We can't let him know but he really did."

The two girls giggle a little together while Logan complains that they are ganging up on him. He finishes his complaint with, "I know I looked good."

The adults in the kitchen are smiling at Logan's easy way with Marie and Veronica. He has surprised them with how good he is with the young girl and how committed he has been to visiting when Veronica is working.

Keith feels his prepaid cell phone vibrate in his pocket. He excuses himself and steps out on the patio to answer. Once he is out in the dark, he can see the stars in the clear night sky. The air is cooler at night during this time of year. This has always been Keith's favorite time of year. In a few weeks baseball season starts and it is a new start for his beloved Padres. This is Keith's New Year. He opens his phone and depresses the answer button. Keith says, "Mars House of Dance."

Ian has to smile at Keith Jr.'s greeting. He questions, "Do I really want to know?"

"Probably not," the tired Sheriff answers.

Getting to his point Ian tells the man he loves like a son, "As we suspected, our latest project doesn't want to give up his toys."

Disappointed but not surprised, Keith Jr. deadpans, "I really expected him to do the right thing."

Amused, Ian has to smile. He checks, "Are your arrangements set?"

"Yes," Keith shares. "Everything is in place." Pausing as he thinks how to word his concern, the Sheriff of Neptune says, "The puppy requires special attention."

Ian understands and says, "I don't envy you. The fallout looks complete right now and it looks like no one is going to be spared."

Keith signs off after telling his friend, "Let me know when you start part two." He stands for a few seconds and looks up at the beautiful night sky. Today has been a hard day. They are all upset about Marie. It is almost inconceivable that she would be so ill. Keith remembers when she was born; so beautiful, so wanted, so loved. Cindy and Derek beat the odds getting pregnant and carrying her until term. They both accepted that she would be their only child and they were grateful for the gift. He rubs his hand over his head as he thinks.

In his job he has learned that everyday is a gift. He and the Chief have the constant worry in the back of their minds about the safety of their men and of course, all the families. This spring, the time of renewal and of course baseball, they are going to lose one of their own way before her time. The thought of not seeing Marie grow up; not seeing her beautiful eyes sparkle with humor is physically painful. His thoughts go to dancing with Veronica and how much he loves her. He can't imagine not getting to see her graduate, go to college, get married and have children. He can't imagine not walking her down the aisle. He thinks about pain that Derek and Cindy are in and he feels helpless. The Sheriff takes a few deep cleansing breaths. He needs to go back in there ready to be supportive.

Logan and Veronica sit on the couch in the Echolls' mansion living room. Lynn listens to them talk about how Marie is now home with hospice care. She is truly saddened that the sweet little girl is losing her battle with cancer. She thinks about how much pain Cindy and Derek must be in.

Veronica leaning into Logan tells Lynn, "Marie is so weak already. She doesn't want to eat and she is so tired."

"I am so sorry," Lynn says sadly. "I was really hoping that she would respond to the new chemotherapy."

Logan smiles weakly at his mother and agrees, "We did too."

Her voice hoarse from crying Veronica tells Lynn that Cindy and Derek are just trying to make Marie's last days full of love. She shakes her head and asks, "What can we do to help them?"

Quietly Lynn just advises the upset teen that there isn't much anyone can do but be there and show them you care.

Nodding her agreement she leans her head onto Logan's shoulder and points out, "It doesn't seem like enough."

Logan turns his head and kisses her forehead. He doesn't know what to say. They are all just in pain and no words are going to make it better.

Lynn tells Logan that his father called and wants her to go to London tomorrow. She adds, "I told him that I wanted to stay here to be with Cindy and Derek but he is very insistent."

Unsurprised his father doesn't care about anything but his wants, Logan just nods resigned to the idea that his mother will do whatever his father decrees.

After Lynn heads to her room to supervise her packing, Veronica pulls away a little and looks at Logan. She sees his anger and his pain over his parents and Marie. Attuned to his emotions since they found out the bad news about Marie, she feels the strong emotions in him. "You know what we both need?"

He looks at her beautiful face and sees the sparkle in her clear blue eyes. Ready to be pulled into her idea he asks, "What?"

"A workout. Something to keep our minds off of everything and burn off this excess energy," she suggests.

Logan's brown eyes deepen as he looks at his petite girlfriend. He says, "Good idea," as he stands and then reaches down, takes her hand and pulls her to stand as well. "In fact," he enthuses, "that is a great idea!"

Veronica looks a little confused as she is pulled behind her excited boyfriend by their joined hands. When they get to the hallway and he turns towards the stairs, she looks down the hallway in the other direction and asks, "Where are you going?"

"To my bedroom," he answers looking at her in question. "Where did you think we were going?"

She meets his gaze and tells him, "The weight room."

He picks up that she was not thinking of workout the same way he was. His face breaks out into a grin as he pulls her to walk in front of him as they start up the stairs. He kisses gently behind her neck and whispers, "As you pointed out, I have a lot of excess energy I need to work off. You are hurting and need a good cuddle. I think the answer to both our problems is upstairs."

She stops and turns around on the stairs to look closely at him. Her face is on level with his since she is standing a few steps higher than him. She tilts her head a little and questions, "You have a **lot **of excess energy?"

Slowly he nods his head. He keeps her gaze and confesses, "I am going to need to be exhausted to sleep tonight."

She looks at him for a few more seconds and then says, "OK." She turns abruptly and runs up the stairs.

Her handsome boyfriend doesn't hesitate; he chases her up the stairs.

... End of Chapter ...

_AN: I don't normally put in author's notes but this chapter was difficult for me to write. I just want to say that I am not sure that I will be able to do justice to the emotions that surround loss and grief. The ability of humans to deal in their own way with pain is amazing. I have watched families sitting at the bedside of a loved one who is dying. They cry, they grieve, they share their pain but they also celebrate life. I love to listen to the stories of fun and companionship that come out during this difficult time. It is this dichotomy that I am trying to put in this story hopefully with some success. _


	30. Chapter 30: Epilogue

Epilogue

Logan looks out from the back of the limousine as he rides with Veronica towards their spot. He found it years ago when he first got his license and with it, his first taste of freedom away from the home life everyone envied and he couldn't wait to leave. He took a drive up the PCH dreaming of the time he could just keep driving and never have to live another day in fear of his father and his leather belts. He would be able to take his mother with him and they both would be free. Of course those were just the dreams of a young teenage boy; they never materialized but they helped to keep him sane and gave him some measure of hope in a world where he felt desolate.

He had been driving and finally stopped to turn around when he found the spot. It was high up above the water but had the most spectacular view. The beach below was rugged and deserted. The log he sat on to look out at the peaceful scene was protected by shrubbery and palm trees. It was his own private oasis; it became his place to go to think and to dream.

He never took Lilly or Duncan Kane there even when he was dating Lilly and Duncan was his best friend/brother. He kept that place as his own delicious secret. He went there when he needed to recharge from his tempestuous relationship with Lilly or when his home life became too much for him to handle.

It was his own fortress of solitude until the day he took Veronica Mars there. He is not even sure why he took her there the first time; he guesses it was because she was so caring and loving that he felt he could share that part of himself with her. Of course she immediately understood what the place meant to him and she loved it there. Since that first time, they have come there for many of their important moments and now they come each time they are in Neptune.

This trip back is a special one. It is their five-year high school reunion. They are going to attend the Friday night social and then the reunion dinner and dance the next night. He looks over at her and feels the familiar warmth in his chest. He and Veronica have been a couple since they got back together in junior year of high school. They both graduated near the top of their classes from Stanford and are both now in law school at Harvard.

This spot has almost all their important memories. He brought her to his spot to talk about going to college together while they were in senior year of high school. He brought her back after their freshman year in college to ask her to formally move in with him. Then they came here during their junior year and he gave her the beautiful promise ring she now wears. Tonight he is taking her to their spot and he is going to ask her to marry him. He is not worried she is going to refuse; he is sure of their relationship.

He is not worried but he is very excited. He has been sure that she is the one for him since high school and he has loved every moment of time he has spent with her. Now he wants to make their relationship official. He wants to give her the wedding of her dreams. He wants to spend the rest of his life with her.

He remembers his high school graduation like it was yesterday. It was one of the happiest days of his life. At first he had been upset because both of his parents had decided to attend. He had vented to Veronica that his parents were going to make Neptune High Graduation a circus event. She had taken his hand and pointed out, "While they are fighting for media attention, you and I can just sneak away and spend the last few days with our friends before we leave for our internships in Seattle. "Of course she had been right; the media focused on both of his attention loving parents and he had been left alone for the most part.

After all this time he does not know what caused his father to divorce his mother just before his senior year of high school but he strongly suspects that he has Veronica's grandfather, Ian and probably Keith to thank for that miracle. All he knows for sure is that his father came back from his movie shoot in New Zealand that year and announced to the press that he and Lynn had grown apart and they had decided to divorce. Of course he tried to spin himself in the best light by saying that Lynn had decided to stay in Neptune with their son until he graduated mostly because her career had stalled while he was now in negotiations for his next blockbuster.

Aaron, in a foolish attempt to seem like a caring father, had donated a large amount of money to help pay for his high school and then college graduation. Each time he had sat in a place of honor in the front row with the latest starlet from a long line of starlets and models his father had been seen with since his separation and subsequent divorce from his mother. Of course Logan had understood that his father could care less about the fact he graduated high school or college. He was there to do some damage control. The press had not been positive after his separation and the later announcement that Lynn Lester had received full custody of Logan. There was a lot of speculation that Lynn was divorcing him over his many affairs and that Logan chose to stay with his mother.

At first Logan worried that his father would get custody of him when his parents' divorced. Once Logan learned that his mother was retaining custody of him, he had worried how much time he would be expected to see his father in LA. Surprisingly his mother had negotiated security that could not be threatened or bought off or threatened.

If Logan had been skeptical of the divorce settlement, Veronica had enthusiastically embraced the idea that Logan was away from his sick, abusive father; in fact she had actually done the dance of joy. When Logan had questioned why his parents were now divorcing and his father allowed his mother to keep custody, she had grasped his face and made him look at her stating definitively, "Who cares? Voldemort is dead!" Then she had raised her arms in victory and yelled, "The wicked witch is dead!" She then began to dance around singing from the Wizard of Oz. He had to smile at her enthusiasm and obvious happiness that he wouldn't have to see his father often. Plus of course, she looks sexy dancing and singing. He mentally shrugged and joined in the impromptu celebration.

Logan still remembers the day that his mother's attorney explained the particulars of his custody and settlement to him. He would be getting ten thousand dollars a month from his father until he turned twenty-five years old. Once he turned twenty-five, he would receive twenty million. Logan could not believe that his father even agreed to the divorce much less the generous settlements both he and his mother received. He always told his mother he would leave her penniless and he would cut Logan off if she ever tried to leave. The money was already in trust for him so his father couldn't renege on the deal. The only stipulation his father made was that he was not allowed to talk to the press at all about their relationship and the custody agreement was to be kept secret. That was fine with Logan. He didn't want to talk to the press at all and it was nobody's business what his personal financial situation was.

Before the meeting with his mother's lawyer, Logan confided his fears that his father would cut his mother and him off financially. Veronica had carelessly dismissed the money firmly stating that they were both going to become lawyers and they didn't need any of his blood money. They would help his mother as well if it came to that. Logan had loved her more for her belief in them and him as well as her wish to have Aaron gone even if he cut Logan and his mother off without a penny.

Of course once Logan turned eighteen, he absolutely refused to have anything to do with his father. He refused to attend any movie premieres, visit his home in LA or even talk to him on the telephone. It gave Logan perverse pleasure that his father couldn't do anything about it. After that day, he absolutely ignored any press about his father. He didn't care how he spun the end of their relationship; the important thing was he was gone.

Although he flourished, Logan wasn't surprised when his mother fell apart when Aaron announced their separation. Veronica couldn't believe that she would be anything but relieved but Logan understood the torment she had endured and how low her self-image had drifted during her marriage. Logan asked and even begged his mother to go to drug and alcohol rehabilitation but instead, she started working a little doing some television guest shots and then took a supporting role in a movie. With her seventy-five million dollar settlement, she really doesn't need the money but it was really more to help her feel good about herself again. Although Logan recommended she wait, she immediately started dating again. She soon met an important man; a judge and they got married right after Logan's graduation from high school. He doesn't want her to work as an actress; he wants her to help him with entertaining and his campaigns. She is good at staying in the background and making her man look good. At first Logan was very unhappy she was dating but with Keith and Veronica's support, he got to know the judge a little and now when he sees him, they at least are able to talk about the law. He is just too dominating and it bothers Logan that his mother is letting another guy make decisions for her.

The summer after high school was spent in Seattle with Logan interning with Ian at his law firm and Veronica interning with her grandfather at the police station. After his mother's wedding, Logan and Veronica went to Stanford together and although Veronica had a dorm room, she spent most of her time with Logan in his condo. She made it his first real home. She helped him pick it, furnish it and she was there to teach him how to have an ordinary life; he learned to budget his money, keep his condo clean, do laundry and cook. Of course he didn't actually ever clean his condo; he hired a service to come once a week and clean but he did learn to keep things neat. Veronica did a lot of the cooking but Logan did like to grill and he learned to cook some simple meals as well. He didn't think he could love Veronica more but their first year of college together cemented their relationship. Instead of just dating, they became a team; team LoVe.

Veronica sits next to her boyfriend of over seven years and she thinks about the past as they ride towards their spot. He is so romantic and loving and this spot has many happy memories for them. She was touched when he brought her here for the first time; knowing that he hadn't brought anyone else made it even more special. They came here to reminisce and be together nearly every time they visited Neptune. Tonight they had gone out to Luigi's for a romantic dinner. Logan being Logan had gone all out renting a limo for their date. He looks very handsome in his dark suit and crisp white shirt. She has learned to just join in and enjoy her boyfriend's crazy, often impromptu and extravagant plans. He is a romantic, loving and sentimental man; she wouldn't change that about him for the world.

Besides tonight was their only night to celebrate the end of their first year of law school together. The rest of their time in Neptune would be busy with reunion activities, visiting friends and helping her father get ready to move so tonight she wholeheartedly joined in their date night. She did her hair, nails and make up and then put on one of the new dresses she bought for this weekend. It is a wonderful royal blue off the shoulder dress that really brings out the color of her eyes and she feels beautiful wearing it.

After over seven years, her man still makes her feel beautiful and desired

every day. He looks at her with his wonderfully expressive and soulful brown eyes and her heart skips in her chest. She could not love a man more than she loves Logan Echolls. There is never a dull moment with him; he is impulsive, fun and full of life. He shares her dream of becoming a lawyer, is a part of her loving, wonderful family and most of all, he is her soul mate. In High School, they were voted the couple most likely to celebrate a golden wedding anniversary. Veronica thought that was boring but Logan had been thrilled that their classmates could see them together that long. She had been touched when she found their prom picture and that prediction from their senior yearbook framed and hung in his den.

Truthfully she is excited about this weekend. Her father is moving to Seattle. It is past time. He has been alone in Neptune since she went away to college and moved in with Logan. The first two summers she interned in Seattle and the last two summers she and Logan interned in LA with influential friends of Lynn's husband. The summer before Grad school, Logan insisted they take the summer off and relax. He said they had been running like hamsters and they needed to be together. She had agreed and they had gone for a vacation to Italy. It had been the best experience for her. She had never been out of the US and in fact hadn't really been away from the west coast before. Lynn had given them the trip as her gift to both of them for graduation. Ian had insisted on paying for grad school for her and Lynn's husband had paid for Logan to attend Law School.

Tomorrow night Veronica was going to get to see Meg and Leo. They got married the summer after grade 12 and Meg almost immediately got pregnant. They now had two children and their third is on the way. Logan had been worried that they were getting married too soon but a talk with Leo had convinced Logan that he was very serious and deeply in love with Meg. Veronica had stood up with Meg at their wedding.

Surprisingly Lilly had been Meg's maid of honor. She was still wild, untamed and unpredictable but both Logan and Meg felt she was happier now she was away from her parents. Logan talked to her once a week and he was convinced that getting into a sorority changed Lilly's life.

Lilly confided in Meg that Veronica is her half-sister. She noticed her mother's immediate hatred when she met Veronica and it had tweaked her interest. Why would mother dearest hate Veronica Mars? It all became clear when she overheard her parent's arguing. Veronica Mars is the product of her father and his high school sweetheart's affair. At first Lilly hated her more but in college she changed her mind about having a half-sister. Her sorority sisters have accepted her as she is and have become her chosen family. Part way through her first year of college, she decided that even though she could never call Veronica her sister publicly, she was going to get to know her. So when she was back in Neptune visiting, she took the time to actually talk to Veronica without any animosity between them. As a bonus, it is a huge fuck you to her mother that Veronica Mars has become her friend. It does bother Lilly a little that Veronica had to work and get scholarships for college when she is the biological daughter of a billionaire but she can see that Veronica is happy with Mr. Mars. She actually found it ironic that her half-sister is now dating her ex. Logan is sex on a stick so he will keep her sister satisfied; he is rich and they are both becoming lawyers so her sister will live in a huge mansion and never want for anything. Lilly keeps in touch with Veronica and they are pretty good friends in their own right.

Surprisingly Duncan is still a free agent. He upset his parents by coming second in the class rankings to Veronica and then further upset them by refusing to go to college right after high school. He has firmly told them that he is not interested in becoming a politician or taking over the family business. He took a year off after high school travelling and surfing. He has just completed his journalism degree and now travels around the world freelancing. He is one of the wealthiest young men in the world and he will never need to work.

Mac will be at the reunion. She got a full ride to MIT and she hasn't looked back. Each summer she interned at different company and out of the multitude of job offers she had upon graduation, she accepted a job in a new, relative unknown software company. She finds her job exciting and rewarding. She is not dating anyone steady but talks in glowing terms about the man who founded the company. Veronica suspects that Mac's admiration is masking a more personal interest.

Erica and Luke broke up in senior year. Luke got a baseball scholarship to USC and he graduated with a degree in kinesiology. Erica went to Hearst College and has become an accountant. She is dating a guy she works with and seems very happy.

The petite blonde is excited to see Cindy and Derek while they are in Neptune. Veronica and Logan held on to each other and joined in the large group of firefighters, police officers as well as friends and family who bonded during Marie's illness and death. Although Veronica knew that Logan was strong, her father and the Chief were impressed with how much support he was for Derek after Marie passed away. Logan through his time volunteering at the fire department was able to see how Derek was coping at work. He also started volunteering with Derek when he walked the State Park trails. The long hikes gave the two time to bond and gave Derek an opportunity, away from Cindy and his coworkers, to talk about what he was feeling. Logan is a good listener and doesn't have any expectations of how Derek should handle the loss and how he should feel. Veronica couldn't have been more proud of how her wonderful, loving boyfriend was just a good friend to Derek; they remain buddies to this day.

Veronica, true to her promise to Marie, made time for Cindy. They both worked at the foundation that was set up in Marie's name but Veronica has made sure that she was there personally for Cindy. They are still close talking weekly on the phone.

Veronica was very worried about Cindy at first. She had been home with Marie and she seemed to be deeply depressed after her death. Even working hard for the foundation wasn't enough to help Cindy through the pain she felt. In addition Derek threw himself in to his work and his volunteer projects. He was away from Cindy physically and emotionally. Veronica was truly concerned about their marriage.

Fate stepped in though. Years before Marie was diagnosed with her cancer, Keith talked Cindy and Derek into becoming emergency foster parents. They took the occasional child in for a few days at a time until the social worker was able to find them a more permanent placement. About six months after Marie passed away, a young baby girl and a two year old boy were left alone after the mother was murdered by her boyfriend. She had no other family and placing the two traumatized children together was a challenge. The social worker did not want to split them up especially as they just lost their mother.

Cindy couldn't say no and she took the two emotionally needy children into her home and took care of them. They ended up staying a few months before a good home was found for them together. Cindy actually enjoyed the challenge and the good feeling she got helping the children adjust. It had been a long time since they had a baby around the house and of course, had to answer the million questions of an inquisitive and excitable two-year old.

Derek had really enjoyed helping Cindy in the evenings and the care of the two young children gave the once close couple something tangible and daily to work towards. It eased the stress between them; they were able to get past their personal pain and get back to the closeness they once shared.

Of course Moneybags Logan talked his mother into letting them use the apartment in Paris for a vacation after the two young children were given a permanent home. They came back from their trip to Paris obviously closer physically and emotionally. Since that time they have been foster parents to over thirty children. They are talking now about actually adopting a small family that needs them. Veronica thinks that they would both be wonderful parents for some very lucky children.

Keith packs up his apartment. He is happy to be moving home to Seattle. He is going to live with his father right now until he gets settled in his new job as captain in the precinct he began his police career in. He is excited about the new challenge.

Looking back on his career in Neptune, his biggest regret is that Aaron Echolls got off too lightly for his years of abuse on Lynn and Logan. Keith's innate sense of justice makes him want to see Aaron face the consequences for what he has done but he knows inside that getting Lynn and Logan away from Aaron's influence was more important. He had done his part protecting Lynn and Logan during the separation and divorce. He helped Lynn select a security company to protect Logan while he was with Aaron during the court mandated visitation and he has ensured that Logan's condo near Stanford and his current house in ((((( are well protected. He has also helped to ensure that Aaron has not found out who instigated his divorce and subsequent settlement.

It has been a few years but he knows that Aaron is still looking for whoever orchestrated his divorce but so far has been unable to get any new leads despite hiring four different private investigators. Ian and his father's plan was actually genius. They just informed Aaron that each week they were going to send part of the information they found about Aaron's affairs and Logan's abuse to one person who would be contacting him for payment to keep quiet. Aaron had been stubborn but finally caved after the first man demanded one hundred thousand dollars to keep quiet and the second demanded a quarter million.

Interestingly a few years ago Keith confided in Veronica that he knew about Logan's abuse from both Lynn and his father. She had apologized for not coming to him directly; citing his job as Sheriff as the stumbling block, not any lack of belief in him. He had understood and she had surprised him by asking him to look into the doctors and nurses that had known about and covered the physical abuse Logan suffered in Neptune. Keith had been more than happy to look into Dr. Joel Pendleton and the nurses who worked for him. Without involving Logan, Keith had been able to ensure that three nurses and Dr. Pendleton had voluntarily surrendered their licenses to practice. Although they did not directly pay for what they did to Logan, Veronica and Keith are both content to know that they cannot hurt others.

Keith has been sure for years that Logan is going to end up his son-in-law. As a father you want a man to love your daughter deeply and treat her like a princess. That definitely describes Logan. He is strong enough to handle his stubborn, strong-willed daughter and most importantly, he is loving and kind enough to deserve her. He is not afraid to openly show that Veronica has his heart and he worships her. Keith could not be happier for them; they are really good together.

As he packs Keith thinks about how Logan approached him two months ago when he visited them and asked for his permission to marry Veronica. On paper Logan has real issues; a mother that drinks and is addicted to pills and a father who physically and emotionally abused him. Logan was raised entitled and self centered. He has very little respect for authority and he has real smart mouth to go with his negative attitude.

It took a lot of patience and time but Keith has come to see that along with the love this young man has for his daughter, Logan has a real desire to belong to a family. It is hard not to care about the little boy inside the arrogant young man; the little boy just wants to have approval, acceptance and love. He turned to Keith to be his role model and surrogate father and the Sheriff did not have the heart to turn him away. Keith made a real effort to get to know Logan; they went to the gun range, played poker and had movie nights since they both love action movies. Keith taught Logan to grill and Logan taught Keith to love boating. The truth is he loves Logan like a son.

Logan assists Veronica out of the car when it arrives at their spot. He carries the picnic basket and blanket on one arm and holds her securely with the other not wanting her to be hurt walking on the uneven terrain with her high heels. It is almost a routine between them as he puts the blanket down and assists her to sit on the log. While she admires the view, Logan opens the basket pulling out the bottle of champagne he brought.

Veronica smiles at how handsome Logan looks as he opens and pours the champagne. She likes how polished and distinguished he looks in a suit. Of course she loves how he looks all the time; when he wakes up with his hair all messy from sleep, when he wears his wet suit to surf or when he wears his expensive tight jeans and t-shirts. No matter what he wears, he always affects her.

Looking around she feels a little melancholy. This spot has a lot of meaning for them. Now that her father is moving, they likely won't come back here as often. Lynn lives in LA, her father, grandfather and Ian live in Seattle, Mac moved north of LA, Duncan is travelling all over the world and who knows where Lilly will end up. The only people who remain in Neptune are Meg, Leo and their children, Erica and of course, Derek and Cindy.

It's a shame because she loves this spot. It holds so many wonderful memories for them as a couple. Her attention is brought back to her loving boyfriend as he hands her a flute of what she is sure is expensive champagne. She takes it and gives him a happy smile. Lifting her glass she toasts, "To another year closer to graduation."

Returning her smile, he sits beside her and touches his glass to hers, "Here, here." They both sip the wonderful champagne and enjoy the moment.

Logan looks out at the view briefly before he looks back at his beautiful girlfriend. She looks very sexy tonight with her hair curled and swept to the side. He is so happy they are back in Neptune for the reunion. It will be good to see everyone and see what they have been doing. He will never turn down the opportunity to dance with Veronica. However tonight he wants to put the engagement ring he designed for and bought her on her finger.

When he decided not to go back to Lilly and to give his relationship with Veronica a real chance, deep inside he didn't believe it would work out. She is so smart, so beautiful, so loving and so real; way too good for him. He just knew he would find a way to mess it up or she would realize he is not worthy. As they dated, he realized something important; he realized that Veronica believes he is perfect for her. She loves him just as he is and she feels lucky to be with him. Her belief in him and them means more to him than she will ever understand. He is doing well in school; his grades rival hers and he now believes that he will pass law school. Weirdly his upbringing actually helped prepare him for the courtroom. Law isn't all knowledge and application of principles; there is a lot of showmanship and even gambling involved. It is in the presentation that Logan has excelled. Veronica has known since the start that she wants to work somewhere in the prosecution arena. She has strong ties to law enforcement through her grandfather and father. She has a strong sense of justice and feels like those who break the law should be made to pay. Logan wasn't as sure where he would fit in. He has come to realize that his heart lies in working with children. They have almost no voice and he intends to give them as big a voice in the legal system as he can whether it is in a large law firm or in his own firm.

He looks at the woman who has come to mean the world to him. He trusts her with his heart and soul and he knows she trusts him back. He reaches over and gently caresses her cheek. When she looks at him he quietly says, "Veronica, although we are only 23 years old, in some ways I feel like I have loved you my whole life."

She smiles at him and agrees, "It is hard to believe that we have been together seven years already."

He nods his agreement and adds lovingly, "They have been the best years of my life."

Her face softens and her beautiful blue eyes glisten in the moonlight as she agrees, "For me too."

Logan takes her hand and quotes, "If you do not love me I shall not be loved. If I do not love you I shall not love." **Samuel Beckett**

Completely touched, she looks at him admiringly. Smiling she shares, "I love your quotes."

He lifts her hand and kisses the back of it then turns it and kisses her palm; gently, softly and with strong emotions. When he looks up and meets her gaze, he shares, "Beckett is right though. You are the only woman for me. I am complete with you. You are the woman of my dreams."

"You are the right man for me Logan," she tells him. "I am happy everyday because we are together."

Logan lets go of her hand and he reaches in the pocket of his suit jacket pulling out the small box. He goes down on one knee before Veronica and opens the box for her to see. "I love you Veronica Mars. I want to face the future with you by my side during the day and in my arms at night. Will you marry me?"

For a heart stopping second she looks at him in shock and then she smiles that smile that makes his heart skip; the smile that she only gives him. He meets her gaze and sees the happy tears in her eyes as she nods and answers, "Yes, I will."

His face breaks out in the happy grin that only a few fortunate souls get to see. He takes out the ring and puts it on the fourth finger of her left hand. He leans down and kisses her finger before he looks up at her.

Unable to hold in her excitement and happiness, she throws herself in his arms wrapping her arms around his neck. She lifts her face to his like she has so many times before. Logan easily catches her and pulls her close. He leans his head down and kisses her as he has so many times before but this kiss feels different. It feels special and new.

When the kiss is over, he gently nuzzles her cheek with his and whispers in her ear, "I love you so much." He pulls back to look at her; to remember her beauty in this moment.

She reaches up with both hands framing his face and stares back at him. Then after a long moment she gently raises her right hand caressing his forehead, eyebrows, cheek, chin and finally his lips with her finger.

Touched, he looks at her a little quizzically wondering what she is thinking. Without his having to ask, she sees his curiosity and tells him, "A woman knows the face of the man she loves as a sailor knows the open sea." Honore de Balzac

He gazes at her feeling the familiar pull in his chest. She is always surprising him. She has taken to quoting famous sayings to him and each time it disarms him. He shakes his head and tells her emotionally, "You are amazing!"

Happy she make him feel good, she teases, "Don't you forget it!"

Pulling back a little, she looks at her ring finger admiring the beauty of the design. Knowingly she says, "You designed it for me." Meeting his gaze she sees she is right and adds emotionally, "It's perfect!"

Wrapping her arms around his neck again she tells him, "Please make love to me now."

He is only too happy to join with her now. Reaching behind her he unzips her dress as he leans down to kiss her.

This kiss is the start of their future as committed partners. It is the next step in their relationship; one that they both hope will last the rest of their lives. A future they will face together with love, honestly and hope; The Real Thing.


End file.
